Across the country, coin circulation challenges are making pennies harder to come by—creating practical questions for local governments that accept cash payments. This webinar explores how agencies can respond, including options for limiting cash, accepting pennies, and applying rounding rules. Learn the legal, operational, and customer service considerations for developing fair, consistent payment policies.
1. Understand the operational impacts of the penny shortage on local government payment systems, including cash handling, customer service, and accounting practices.
2. Evaluate policy options for managing small-coin transactions, including limiting cash payments, accepting pennies, and implementing rounding rules for cash transactions.
3. Identify legal, financial, and operational considerations for adopting payment policies that address coin shortages while maintaining fairness, transparency, and public trust.
Kara Millonzi is the Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government at the School of Government. She is an expert on local government finance law, general county law, school finance, utilities finance, development finance, and incorporation.
As a faculty member, she administers the Coates’ Canons Local Government Law Blog and has authored well over 100 posts on issues related to local government law and finance. Millonzi also administers NC Finance Connect, an online community portal centered around the topic of local government finance. She has authored numerous publications, including A Guide to Billing and Collecting Public Enterprise Utility Fees for Water, Wastewater, and Solid Waste Services, Introduction to Local Government Finance (4th edition), and The Governance and Funding Structure of North Carolina Public Schools. She teaches several core finance courses and directs the NC County Attorneys Conference and Fundamentals Workshop and Local Government Finance Officers Conference each year.
