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DiNapoli: New Section of Your Money New York Website Will Help Local Governments

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced a new section of his Your Money New York website is up and running to help local governments meet the needs of their constituents. The new section offers government resources on the site, including information on how local governments can empower residents through financial education, and tools to help local government officials carry out their own financial and budgetary responsibilities.

"New York's local officials are the lifeblood of government," DiNapoli said. "They deal with the day-to-day challenges of providing government services, attracting and retaining businesses all while balancing budgets with taxpayer demands. We need to make sure they have the support and the tools they need to do their job. This new section of Your Money New York is a great start."

DiNapoli announced the site in conjunction with his Third Annual Local Government Leadership Institute, which is being held Thursday, May 19 at Hofstra University. The Institute will bring together officials from all levels of local government to share key leadership principles, discuss regional issues and examine current challenges in government. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy will be the keynote speaker at the event.

Your Money New York (www.yourmoneynewyork.com) is a website introduced by DiNapoli in 2009 to give New Yorkers easy access to information and useful resources on money-related matters.

The new Local Government section of Your Money New York has a wide range of information suitable for local governments to build on existing programs, such as tax return workshops for senior citizens or job fairs, or to develop new initiatives that are tailored to the needs of their people. In addition to the resources that can help local governments promote financial literacy among their constituents, there are a number of resources available to aid local government officials in the performance of their duties.

The new section also provides access to information from federal, State and local government resources, including:

• Help in Hosting Financial Education Events for Constituents
• Help with Creating and Funding Financial Education Initiatives
• Links to Local Government Official Training
• Resources from the Local Government Leadership Institute
• Multiyear Financial Planning Tools
• Publications and Tools

Your Money New York website
The easy-to-use, multilingual site covers credit cards and consumer debt, home mortgages, savings and investments, insurance, and protection against identity theft and financial scams. It also provides access to interactive calculators and DiNapoli's Open Book New York Web site, which brings detailed information on State and local government finances to taxpayers through a centralized, user-friendly platform.