Government

Our Expertise

We care about accountability as much as you do

Our government services go beyond quality audits; we help our clients build stronger places to live. Our experts help strengthen communities by identifying opportunities for enhanced revenues or cost reductions. As you consider the best use of relief funds, such as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), we’ll help you understand allowable expenditures and reporting requirements.

We know how important transparency is in the public sector. With every choice you make, your reputation is at stake. The dollars you spend. The services you buy. Constrained by an ever-tightening budget, you’re trying to quickly understand new standards, mitigate risk, develop an IT strategy, and fill in talent gaps — all while providing essential services.

That’s where we come in. We know about accountability. And we’re as beholden to it as you are. For more than 75 years, we’ve served over 500 governmental organizations across the United States, including cities, townships, counties, state governments, special districts, authorities, pension systems, airports, transportation/transit authorities, and utilities. No matter where you are, we’ve seen it all. And, we can help.

Change is inevitable

Are you ready for the future? Or are you in survival mode? From pressure to stay on the forefront of changing regulations to rapidly evolving technologies, it’s a challenge to become financially secure and digitally safe — but it’s also a necessity.

We can assist with:

Audits

How confident are you in your current audit’s accuracy or quality? Do you wonder if the process could be smoother or more timely? We know it can — because we’ve served many similar organizations. Our cutting-edge technologies contribute to audit quality and efficiency, whether they’re performed locally or remotely. We’ve conducted more than 750 ACFR reports that have achieved the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. And on an annual basis, we perform the second most single audits in the nation — auditing more than $9 billion of federal expenditures per year. With our staff’s technical skills and organized approach, our audits — done right and on time — will strengthen your organization.

Cybersecurity

As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, government agencies are prime targets. Do you have a robust plan for preventing cyberattacks? What about data protection — can you guarantee its security? Digital threats exist within and outside your organization. We’ll bring an objective, unbiased eye to evaluate your current situation and help you best strategize for the future to ensure your organization gets the highest return on its IT investments.

Data analytics

Governments are able to cut costs and improve the value of their services through data-driven decision-making. Many leaders, however, don’t know where to start in transforming their data into a highly valuable strategic asset. We help you discover the hidden value within your data. We’ll help you assess your current analytics capability and develop a data strategy to fully leverage your information assets.

ERP consulting

We know the ERP marketplace and vendors’ respective strengths and weaknesses, and we’ll talk you through the confusing array of services and features to help you narrow the possibilities to find the best fit. As independent, unbiased advisors, we’ve managed assessments, selections and implementations of all sizes and budgets and know, firsthand, what works — and what to avoid — to ensure you get the ERP solution that will work best for you.

Finance and accounting solutions

Are you hindered by a vacancy on your finance team? Like many governments, does your team have a lean staffing model? Do you need help compiling complete records for your audit? Whether you need temporary accounting support, or longer-term support for outsourced accounting, our professionals will quickly become a seamless extension of your team, assisting with everything from record keeping, bank reconciliations and transaction processing to providing ideas for cutting costs and increasing revenue. More strategically, we’ll provide financial planning and analysis support to develop tools that you can leverage for long-term value, from forecasting, budgeting and cash flow projections, to reporting function development.

Forensic accounting

Are you doing all you can to prevent fraud within your government agency? We'll help you train your staff to prevent, recognize and report fraud. If fraudulent activities do occur, our forensic accounting experts will help you preserve evidence and prevent, detect, and quantify losses.

Operations improvement

Whether you’re looking to streamline your processes, save money, or better serve your constituents, our governmental operations improvement team will help you maximize your budgets and run more efficiently, incorporating best practices that will make your organization more efficient, effective, and productive.

Public retirement systems

We understand your plans, your needs, and the auditing challenges, particularly under GASB’s pension and OPEB standards. As one of the largest benefit plan auditors in the nation, we provide benefit plan audits for more than 1,600 clients, including more than 110 public retirement systems, auditing more than $175 billion in plan assets annually. We work with all types of plans, including defined benefit, defined contribution, VEBAs, single employer, cost-sharing and agent plans. Our active involvement in AICPA’s Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC), the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC), and the State and Local Government Expert Panel ensures that our firm and our clients stay ahead of emerging issues.

Technology consulting

We'll help assess your IT environment and develop strategies to increase effectiveness and efficiency of IT investments. Our consultants have earned a variety of professional designations, including project management professional (PMP), Prosci Change Management, and LEAN certifications, and they’ll help you complete large, complex projects on time, on budget, and on track with your goals. Frequent areas of focus include IT governance, outsourcing, digital transformation, IT support structure, and assessing, selecting, and implementing ERP or other enterprise-wide technologies. Our experts will guide you every step of the way. And, we’re independent. That means we’ll help you find the best solution that works for you — not for us.

When it comes to industry updates, we’re the first to know

We’re a founding member of the AICPA Government Audit Quality Center and one of our partners serves on the executive committee, another partner serves as the chair of the AICPA State and Local Government Expert Panel, and we participate in the National Single Audit Roundtable. We’re also a member of the AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center. Voluntary membership in these AICPA quality centers demonstrates our commitment to audit quality and holds us to a higher level of scrutiny than nonmember accounting firms.

Our audit and compliance experts are actively involved in government organizations and share in-depth analyses to help you stay on top of emerging issues at the local, state, and federal levels. You and your stakeholders can be confident that our recommendations are objective, and proven.

Upcoming Events & Webinars

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Healthcare professionals gathered in a modern conference room to learn about 1099 compliance

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024

1099 compliance and mistakes to avoid during an IRS payroll tax audit

Join our webinar on November 26 to ensure your organization knows what to look out for in Form 990s and learn best practices to strengthen your compliance process.

Webinar / 1 hour watch

Digital transformation in government

More digital transformation in government

Man weighing the benefits of ERP optimization

October 14, 2024

Rethink how you use technology, people, and processes to deliver services, prepare for disruption, and enhance public trust. It’s time to take action to accelerate digital transformation.

Download Now

Insights

More Insights

Finance professional discussing outsourced accounting services.

Outsourced accounting services: What every public sector organization needs to know

Article / 4 min read

Finance director considering outsourced accounting to address staffing shortages.

Public sector outsourced accounting and CFO services

Video / 2 min watch

Business professionals talking about federal financial assistance for grants.

How will OMB’s revisions for federal financial assistance impact my organization?

Article / 5 min read

Healthcare professional reading about 1099 compliance on their laptop.

1099 compliance: Tips and reminders for tax exempt organizations

Article / 7 min read

2024 year-end tax guide: Best strategies for higher-income taxpayers to minimize taxes

White Paper / 25 min read

View of U.S. government building at night.

Maximize the Section 48 investment tax credit by beginning construction in 2024

Article / 16 min read

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Case Studies

SEE ALL CASE STUDIES

Photo of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation interior sections

March 28, 2024

Rhode Island Airport Corporation: The story behind more on-time hugs

As an international airport focused on on-time operations, Rhode Island Airport Corporation expects us to provide timely, efficient services. But it’s our dedication and industry expertise that makes the difference. Here’s how RIAC counts on us as their trusted advisor.

Case Study / 2 min read

Street view of 11 Mile Road in Oak Park, MI, USA

March 26, 2024

Market study helps Michigan city investigate demand for real estate development

Plante Moran Realpoint helped the City of Oak Park, Mich., assess demand for a mixed-use development and commence development planning.

Case Study / 2 min read

Aerial view of interstate highway without traffic.

February 20, 2023

Launching new permitting, compliance, and licensing technologies to enhance digital services at the City of Doral, Fla.

New digital permitting and licensing services didn’t meet customer service expectations during the city’s rollout of its replacement permitting, licensing, and code enforcement system. As project manager, we increased processing speeds and improved the digital experience for the city’s permitting and licensing customers.

Case Study / 3 min read

Client Experience

The public puts its trust in you. Put your trust in us.

Trust in our expertise. There’s a reason our reputation precedes us. We perform the second-highest number of single audits in the nation. Our services are scalable — we serve small villages to some of the largest cities, and everything in between.

Trust that we’ll understand your issues. We take the time to get to know you; that’s how we tailor our best practices and technical knowledge — with a future-focused lens — to ensure your success.

When you’re satisfied, it makes a positive impact. “When you tell us how much you love our team and the expertise we provide — whether it be meeting compliance milestones, providing assistance and thought leadership on new standards, or transforming technology tools to help your team achieve better service — that’s how we make our mark.” says Stacey Reeves, a leader in our government practice.

Our clients say

We’ve partnered with Plante Moran for years, and it’s truly been a pleasure. We’ve experienced a level of trust and openness that can’t be replicated. Their team’s professionalism and dedication kept our project on course. They played a significant role in guiding us through the various stages, from process mapping to facilitating demos and coordination with our project manager. Their understanding of the marketplace and key vendors fostered an easy working relationship to achieve our objectives.
I’d recommend Plante Moran to those seeking similar services due to their level of knowledge, commitment, and collaboration.

Erik Dial

Deputy Director of Utility Finance & Customer Service, City of Greeley, Colorado

Plante Moran’s assistance during our EnerGov assessment and stabilization project has made an incredible difference in our community, both before and after Hurricane Ian.
Without the insights, direction, and focus provided by the team, we would not be in a position to meet the needs of our community members as they recover from a massively devastating storm. We’re grateful for the expertise and diligence provided by Plante Moran, and we’re looking forward to our continuing relationship.

Matt Grambow

Special Projects Coordinator, City of Cape Coral, FL

We chose Plante Moran based on their deep knowledge and experience in performing audits of municipal governments. We work directly with senior partners of the firm, and we have access to technical experts who are leaders in governmental accounting and auditing.
I have been the finance director in two different cities that have economic challenges, and Plante Moran has helped me meet my professional goals to publish high quality financial statements that can be trusted by investors in the City’s bonds and also by elected officials.

John Naglick

Chief Deputy CFO/Finance Director, City of Detroit, MI

We’ve worked with Plante Moran on several audit, accounting, and consulting projects. Without exception, each of the 25+ staff members we’ve worked with have consistently demonstrated a high level of customer service and commitment to our organization. As a government agency, we often face intense public scrutiny and we can trust Plante Moran is always looking out for our best interests.
There have been a tremendous amount of GASB rule changes and reporting issues in the past few years, and Plante Moran helped guide us through each implementation flawlessly. Their technical expertise was instrumental in working through the accounting and policy decisions related to the start-up of a new authority, including the complex issues related to shared interest by multiple government entities. They helped us figure out how to get it done right. Time and again, they have provided a level of expertise that we couldn’t have done without.

Karl Kramer

Finance Director, Genesee County MI Drain Commissioner

Northern Water consists of numerous water activity enterprises that, collectively, allow us to advance our mission. In short order, Plante Moran was able to grasp the notable intricacy of each enterprise and how they ultimately work in tandem. In less than one year’s time, Plante Moran has greatly assisted us in identifying several business practices that will provide additional internal financial control and heightened accountability to our board and its constituents.
Because of Plante Moran’s breadth of experience, they’re extremely helpful in sharing ideas and practices that have known and demonstrated value. From COVID-19 to succession planning, Plante Moran’s prompting to memorialize our operating procedures in greater detail will pay quick dividends. As we grow in size and complexity, we feel confident that we have a proactive partner that provides value beyond the audit.

Bradley D. Wind

General Manager, Northern Water CO