August 2024 Edition

Are you interested in expanding your industry education and training? The Certified Revenue Officer (CRO) Program was created by the CMRTA Certification Committee to validate proficiency and experience in the revenue collection field. The designation demonstrates that you’ve achieved a recognized standard of knowledge in the industry. 

Becoming a CRO attests to your personal training in multiple areas, including business license tax, collections, laws and regulations, management theory, customer service and more. Including it on a resume adds a valuable credential for job and promotional opportunities.

Individuals interested in becoming a CRO must first confirm their CMRTA membership is current and meet the following requirements to take the CRO exam:

• 4,000 hours or 2 years of business license (tax) experience
• Business license experience may include processing applications, field enforcement Audits or other business license related experience
• Completion of at least 30 hours of CMRTA training in specific categories

The CRO exam consists of two parts: part one is a multiple choice and true false question portion which is administered by the CRO Certification Chairperson. Upon passing part one, part two consists of creating a PowerPoint presentation on a relatable topic and presenting at a quarterly division meeting. 

The CRO certification lasts for five years and can be renewed through proof of 50 hours of continuing education in any CRO category and an application fee. Recertification can be renewed up to two years after expiration.

Being a CRO certifies your experience across many disciplines to help you excel in your role as a revenue professional. If interested in applying to become a CRO, visit our website at www.cmrta.org/cro-landing-page.

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Follow our new LinkedIn page to stay in the know about the industry and learn about professional opportunities through CMRTA. 

Tripepi Smith is a provider of marketing, technology and public affairs consulting services. Combining our years of experience in local government, technology and the marketing fields, Tripepi Smith offers a unique blend of skills to help our clients execute on their goals. The Tripepi Smith team stands ready to help you with your outreach campaigns, video production, content writing, messaging, graphic work, technology infrastructure and websites.

Register today for the CMRTA Annual Conference in Ontario, California! This year’s theme: Navigating Financial Runways: Taking Off to Revenue Success. We have an agenda jam-packed with the best financial practices, tips and tricks to help you and your team soar the skies!

To pick your seat on our adventure, register on our website to enjoy our early-bird registration price of $375! If you need more time to figure out your travel details, make sure to book before September 1 to not miss out on this experience.

The Annual Conference is a premier opportunity for professional growth and connection through our informative sessions, workshops and networking opportunities throughout the event. Our featured speakers include industry experts to help facilitate interactive discussions about the challenges impacting our field.

Stay tuned for more details, including the full agenda, which will be available on our website as the event nears.

I’ve been in the Business License industry for 23+ years now. CMRTA is a group comprised of tenured members and new members. The new members are entering into an industry like no other. The tenured members provide an example of how much information there is to learn and how much knowledge there is to share. When I was new to CMRTA the tenured members provided mentorship.

I’ve come a long way in my professional life, and now that I am one of the tenured members, I thrive on sharing and presenting my knowledge and passion for our industry.

Laguna Beach aims to beautify commercial district with incentive program

From Daily Pilot, August 2, 2024

Looking for a collaborative effort to beautify its commercial district and draw more people into local businesses, Laguna Beach plans to incentivize property owners to maintain their buildings and the surrounding areas. Access the full article.

VTA announces billions of dollars in federal funding for BART to San Jose

From The Mercury News, August 4, 2024

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the transit agency designing and building the BART extension to San Jose and Santa Clara, on Friday announced the federal government will contribute $5.1 billion to help complete the historic and long-awaited project. Access the full article.

Merced County voters to consider public safety tax in November amid critical shortage of deputies

From The Merced Focus, August 6, 2024

Merced County voters in November will decide whether to pass a half-cent sales tax to support the county’s sheriff and district attorney offices along with fire protection. Access the full article.

WeHo upgrades permitting system
From The Beverly Press, August 7, 2024

The city of West Hollywood is launching a new, comprehensive enterprise permitting and licensing management system this month. Access the full article.

Correa presents city of Orange with $850,000 in federal funds to help build new park

From Daily Pilot, August 8, 2024

On Aug. 7, U.S. Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46) presented a check for $850,000 in federal tax dollars to Orange Mayor Dan Slater, Councilman Jon Dumitr and other Orange officials to help build West Orange Park. Access the full article.