Municipal Management Made Easy
ClerkBooks is an Enterprise Resource Planning software system designed for small to mid-sized municipal governments. It will streamline procedures and optimize resources to help you better serve your community. The core of the system is a comprehensive GASB compliant Fund-based accounting system. However, ClerkBooks is much more than accounting. Our all-inclusive suite of advanced features will help you manage every aspect of your civic operations.
All-Inclusive Features
ClerkBooks is not priced per module. All modules and all features are available to all subscribers. We believe that all local government entities, no matter their size, deserve all the best features.
GASB Compliant Fund Accounting
ClerkBooks uses a Uniform Chart of Accounts as suggested by your State Auditor’s Office. This means all of your reports will always line up with the State Budget report and Annual Financial Reports.
Utility Billing
Calculate multi-tiered service and usage charges for water / sewer, natural gas, and electricity. It also allows for up to 20 custom flat rage charges such as: garbage, recycling, meter rent, even-pay, and round-up items.
Payment Processing
Includes a free payment portal allowing customers to view invoices and schedule one-time or re-occurring payments via credit/debit card. All processing fees are passed to the customer. Also allows onsite and automatic ACH payments.
Software Features
GASB Compliant Fund Accounting
Every split line of every transaction is required to have a Fund, Department (combination of Function and Activity) and Account (Revenue Source, Expense Object, etc). But don’t worry, you can easily see how the system automatically creates the extra split lines for you. This means that Fund balances are automatically balanced after every transaction. No balancing adjustments (closing tool entries, due to, due from) needed at the end of the month or end of the year.
Chart of Accounts
ClerkBooks uses a Uniform Chart of Accounts as suggested by your State Auditor’s Office. This means all of your reports will always line up with the State Budget report and Annual Financial Report. Because of this, most of our Clerks are able to prepare their Annual Financial Report within 30 days of year end! ClerkBooks gives your Council an updated fund balance at the end of every month, so there are no surprises at the end of the year.
Account Ledgers
ClerkBooks maintains a separate set of ledgers for each type of transaction. This means you can easily create, find and reconcile transactions based on the type of transaction you need to create.
Accounts Payable
Paying expenses is a breeze. Create State specific vouchers, then convert them to bills to pay. Pay multiple bills with one bill payment. Easily apply bill credits and discounts. Track and report 1099 eligible payments. Print and/or email Claims for Council Approval reports.
Accounts Receivable
Getting paid for sales and services has never been easier. Print and/or email invoices for utility billing, licenses and permits, rentals, fire and ambulance calls, court fines, little league registrations, pool passes, cemetery lots, and much more. Easily apply payments to open invoices.
Utility Billing
The utility billing module calculates service and usage charges for water / sewer, natural gas, and electricity. It also allows for up to 20 custom flat rage charges such as: garbage, recycling, meter rent, debt service, and even round-up items.
All meter readings are entered in a single screen, similar to a spreadsheet, and can be synchronized with a host of automatic reading systems. The system allows each customer to have multiple meters and effortlessly calculates different rates for multiple customer types & usage quantities.
Payment Processing
ClerkBooks comes with a free online customer payment portal for credit/debit card processing and free ACH bank draft processing.
Customers can use the online payment portal to view invoices and schedule one-time or re-occurring payments. All processing fees are passed on to the customer. Payments made online import automatically into the accounting system.
Payroll
ClerkBooks automatically calculates net pay including: gross wages, compensated absences, insurances, taxes, retirement, and more. Track and report payroll by Fund, Department and Account.
ClerkBooks includes Federal, State and Local withholding calculations at no extra cost. E-File reports and E-Pay taxes with an integrated partnership with Tax Bandit at a discounted rate.
Reports
ClerkBooks comes with a standard set of customizable reports designed and organized specifically for Municipalities! Reports feature Drill-Down capability going all the way back to the original transaction.
Project Management
ClerkBooks includes a simple Project Manager. Create Projects and Sub-Projects. Then Assign Tasks to each Project. Create reports for each Project individually or as a group.
Coming Soon
ClerkBooks is growing to become a true ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. We want to help with every layer of municipal management. Suggestions are always welcome. Tell us what would help you the most. Click Learn More to see what is currently on our to-do list.
“ClerkBooks is changing and growing quickly. However, you are always our first priority. People are more important than policies or procedures. And local government people are our kind of people.“
Eddie – CEO
“Thank you for taking the time to view our website. You are the reason we are here. It is our sincere goal to help your community thrive.”
Lisa – AdminISTRATION
“You are awesome! We know you got this. However, we are here to help when you are unsure. Give us a call, send us an email, or schedule an appointment online. We are here to help.”
Melinda – Support Representative
“While accomplishing complex tasks, having another set of eyes can save a lot of time. We usually see things from a different point of view. Sometimes a 15 minute support call can save you hours of troubleshooting.”
Hanna – Support Representative
More Than Just Software
Since 2005, ClerkBooks has helped hundreds of small cities across the United States meet the needs of their community. All of our Support Representatives are former City Clerks, Treasurers, Administrators or City Auditors. Over the years, we have learned a few things. Let our professional Support Representatives help you. It’s time to dream again!
Data Conversion
To get you up and running, ClerkBooks will handle all of your setup and data conversion.
We start by streamlining the full chart of accounts to match your budgeted accounts. We import your vendor and customer lists, add beginning balances, current meter readings, and utility rates. We set-up your employees and enter year-to-date totals. We set your beginning bank balances, re-enter current transactions, and re-reconcile bank statements. We then set your beginning Fund balances. (and more)
Your system will already include all transactions fiscal year-to-date. You then start using it with today’s transactions.
Training & Support
Beyond set-up and configuration, ClerkBooks offers several support and training options. We have created a user support site with over 12 hours of video training. Each page of the site includes intuitive tool-tip instructions and a page specific slide-out help panel.
For one-on-one assistance, we have several support packages available at various price points. The minutes you purchase can be used in 5 minute increments and they never expire. 40 hours can last a week, or be used over the course of 3 years.
You are never alone with the ClerkBooks Municipal Accounting System. We are here to help you succeed!
Council Training
The City Council, or Board, is responsible for efficiently using the City’s resources to meet the needs of the community. They are also responsible for safeguarding the City’s assets.
ClerkBooks provides training videos designed specifically for Council Members. The first goal of the training is to help them read and understand their financial reports in order to help them make decisions. The second goal is to help them catch mistakes and prevent fraud.
When elected officials work hand-in-hand with City staff, together you can meet your citizen’s needs and help your community grow.
Budget Assistance
There is an art to creating a budget. The city’s budget should be a representation of the goals and activities the Council wants to accomplish over the next 12 months. Simply copying last year’s budget is likely not going to get the desired results.
For example, levies should be re-evaluated each year. Many times we can shift the levies from one to another, without raising the levy rates, and have a dramatic effect on our fund balances. Cities that struggle to make ends meet can be revitalized by just a few minor adjustments here and there.
Budgets should always be coupled with a short and long term Capital plan. This takes us away from a “patching holes and putting out fires”. It puts the City back in control of their finances.
Capital Planning
On a month by month basis, it is so easy to get tunnel vision. We tend to focus on “patching holes” and “putting out fires”. Often this means the more expensive projects never get done. When an “emergency” forces a Council to complete a large project they have to borrow more than Cities who have a Capital Improvements Plan. This leaves serious infrastructure and debt issues to the next generation.
Every City, no matter how small or how big, should have a Capital Improvements Plan. Capital Planning involves both short and long term plans for everything from office computers to street repairs to sewer lagoons. However, a Capital Plan is worthless without a way to finance the projects. That is why we also talk about available financing options including: tax planning, budgeting, grant writing, TIF, loans and bonds.
End-of-Year Review & Closing
Closing the end of the fiscal year is much more intense than closing each month. For instance, you will need to pay extra attention to your balance sheet values.
Many cities will also need to convert from “Modified Cash Basis” to “Pure Cash Basis”.
Having an extra set of eyes review your financials, before giving the books to an auditor, can save you a lot of questions by the auditor. Many times we can see things that you don’t, just because we do this with so many other cities every year. We have a different point of view.
If you would like an extra set of eyes to help with the end-of-year process we would be glad to help. Give us a call, or send us an email right away so we can schedule your end-of-year review.
Annual Report Assistance
Filling out and filing your annual State reports can be a daunting task. Many times these reports are in lieu of an audit. This means they need to be as complete and accurate as an audit. Some States have more than one annual report. In that case, you have to make sure that the multiple reports all communicate the same information. You also need to make sure they all balance with your accounting file.
We are here to help! ClerkBooks can assist you in preparing your annual reports. We can help you move the information from ClerkBooks to your annual reports. If you prefer to do the data transfer yourself, ClerkBooks can quickly review your reports before presenting them for approval. This ensures that your reports all match and they all balance with your books.
Audit Assistance
It is the auditor’s job to find something. As they search through your records, they have to interpret your records from GASB’s standard point of view. That is why having a solid chart of accounts, and using the chart of accounts properly, is so important. If anything is entered in a non-traditional way, auditors ask questions. When you can answer those questions, they are happy. When you struggle to answer their questions, they write findings.
We are here to help! ClerkBooks works with auditors all the time. We speak their language. Sometimes it just takes a little interpretation to get the answers they need.
We can help you prepare before the audit. We can help you answer questions during the audit. We can help you respond to findings after the audit.