What to expect with special district training

One of the requirements of being on a local district or special service district board is training through the State of Utah. It’s a vital step in learning more about government procedures and the regular business that most district boards partake in.

Here is an overview of this free training, which is offered by the Local Government Resource Center of the state government’s Auditor.

More about the course itself

District board members must complete the online course within a year of appointment or election to office, or within that same time frame if they are reappointed or reelected. It’s linked to a Utah state statute that was recently made effective concerning provisions to all special districts.

The course goes into some varied subject matter that covers many aspects of being a board member. Here’s a preview of what’s covered:

The Little Manual: The course begins with a look at this document from the state auditor, which guides districts, including its most key elements to help govern and guide.

Qualifications and responsibilities: A look at what needs to exemplify a board member and specifics on duties to the district are then covered.

Policies and procedures: The key state statutes and laws that cover the work of districts are then detailed.

Budgeting: A beginner’s guide to how effective budgeting for state funding works is also a part of the training.

GRAMA: Details on the Government Records Access and Management Act, which discusses access to records, is another featured part of the annual training.

Clerk and Treasurer duties: A look at the reasoning behind the separation of duties between these two rules, and why it’s important to maintain, is another detail discussed.

Ethics and nepotism laws: The key statutes involving these two critical issues, including a more extended breakdown of the Public Employee Ethics Act, are featured.

Fraud: An introduction to what is considered fraud, and how to best avoid participating in it makes up this course segment. A fraud risk assessment overview and evaluation follow it.

Internal Auditing: The course also includes tips and advice on internal auditing and its importance in maintaining an above-board and productive district.

We can help guide on essential training

There are many more trainings that are not mandatory, but could make sense for your role on a district or board. You can access all the training for services that the state provides at their link. You can also learn more about training would be best by going to our training section of our website.