Winter meeting 1999.

• Position: Government Finance Officers Assn

The GFOA held its annual Winter Standing Committee Meeting on February 2 and 3 in Washington, D.C. Five of the six standing committees met to begin discussion and development of recommended practices and policies. In addition, members planned future committee activities and discussed research and publications. Standing committees meet twice each year, at the Winter Meeting and at the annual conference. The Winter Meeting offers members the opportunity to meet with their congressional representatives to discuss issues of concern to state and local governments and to meet with administration policy makers as well. Policy statements or recommended practices approved by the committees are considered by GFOA's Executive Board. Policies approved by the Executive Board are submitted to the entire membership for vote at the annual business meeting during the annual conference.

At the Winter Meeting, participants assembled for a general session to hear a presentation from the keynote speaker, Mayor Anthony Williams of Washington, D.C. In his inaugural address, Mayor Williams had stated that he is not a professional politician but rather a "card-carrying member of the Government Finance Officers Association." The mayor is the former Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia Control Board. The focus of his speech was on the steps taken by the District government as it recovers from its financial woes and attempts to improve its credit rating. Mayor Williams also discussed the role of the federally created control board, which oversees many of the financial operations and management for the District of Columbia.

The Committee on Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting (CAAFR) approved a recommended practice entitled Computer Disaster Recovery Plans. The committee also approved a recommended practice on process reengineering, which was subsequently referred to the other standing committees for comment. The CAAFR worked together with the Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Management to approve a draft policy statement, Infrastructure Reporting, reiterating GFOA's position on infrastructure reporting in connection with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board's (GASB) proposed new financial reporting model. If infrastructure reporting is to be required despite GFOA's objections, the committees are urging that steps be taken to minimize the costs of compliance. Specifically, the committees would like the GASB to allow the use of...