Township association supports proposal to increase number of Minnesota CPAs
March 7, 2024 | Guest Author
By Jeff Krueger, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Townships
Minnesota has 1,777 townships, the most numerous types of local governments in the state.
Townships are located in mostly rural areas and rely on volunteers who are elected as their township supervisors, as well as a part- or full-time clerk and treasurer who manage township spending and incoming taxpayer dollars.
Township clerks and treasurers are the mainstay of township government — they make sure each tax dollar is accounted for. Certified public accountants also play an important role in assisting many of the 1,777 townships with their audit and accounting processes.
Unfortunately, there has been a downward trend of obtainable CPAs and auditors over the years, and townships — with their clerks and treasurers — are seeing this availability crisis unfold.
It’s vital that townships have CPAs to assist their teams in making sure taxpayer dollars and our many clerks and treasurers are all on the same page. Understanding township financing is not easy, but CPAs are up to the task.
To be frank: CPA firms are needed to audit many of the townships in Minnesota, and there simply are not enough of them! Something urgent needs to be done.
Now is the time to offer
additional pathways for obtaining CPA licensure. The Minnesota Association of Townships agrees with the MNCPA’s legislation to do just that. The
proposed bill offers common sense and will help create a strong future for the accounting industry and assist our organizations who require these services.
There are many motivated, hardworking individuals who are interested in accounting and we’re glad this proposed legislation broadens the pathways by providing options for licensure. This modernization is appreciated by the Minnesota Association of Townships and our individual townships across the state who rely on these services.
Learn more about this CPA pathways initiative
Do you want to learn more about this effort? You can keep up with the evolving conversation by visiting the MNCPA’s webpage about the broadening pathways to CPA licensure initiative.
VISIT CPA PATHWAYS PAGE
Topics: Legislative & Government Affairs, Professional Certification, Government
Guest Author
The MNCPA occasionally requests people in or connected to the accounting profession to provide their insights for MNCPA Perspectives.
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