News Release – For Immediate Release

Auburn Hills , MI, September 27, 2010 – Munetrix^TM, is a proprietary financial management tool for Local Units of Government, designed to aid in identifying the fiscal health of Local Units and help them plan for their future.  “With so many Local Units in the State of Michigan in risky financial positions, it has become necessary to force disciplines that will get them back in good fiscal standing,” said Bob Kittle, co-founder of Munetrix.  “Understanding where you are at any point in time is essential to planning your way out of it.”

This proprietary tool was designed using expertise from both public and private sectors to support the sound management of Local Units by creating visibility and transparency of their state-measured financial situation.  It gives municipal managers an easy way to do planning and forecasting, and helps them manage the numbers that the state uses to measure fiscal distress.  Kittle continues, “No Local Unit wants to find itself with an Emergency Financial Manager on its doorstep, and this tool will help avoid that possibility.”

Oakland County businessmen Richard Brown and Bob Kittle developed Munetrix in early 2010 to address the need for municipalities to forecast, anticipate, and study financial trends as part of their daily business activities. Kittle is a business advisor and efficiency management consultant and has been President of the Kittle Group since 2006.  He has been involved in municipal finance for 8 years as an Auburn Hills City Councilman and consultant, and he teamed up with Brown, who has a finance background and is the owner of Quantum Leap, a technology firm in Keego Harbor.

Munetrix was designed to help a municipality identify signs of fiscal distress and is based on the State of Michigan Treasury Department’s scoring system for municipal solvency under Public Act 72.  The goal of the application is to “Help Municipalities Help Themselves.”

About Munetrix, LLC

Munetrix was formed as a Limited Liability Company, headquartered in Auburn Hills, MI, by Richard Brown and Bob Kittle.  Originally, the Munetrix application was designed as a tool for use in their individual consultancy practices, The Kittle Group and Quantum Leap.  These companies have over 25 years of experience developing and implementing highly-successful strategic planning and analytical initiatives for small to Fortune 500 companies, including public sector organizations.  The web version of Munetrix^TM can either be used as a stand-alone tool by municipalities, or in support of the public sector consulting practices of The Kittle Group and Quantum Leap. 

During tumultuous economic times, many local units of government find themselves facing daunting financial challenges. Following meetings with the Michigan Municipal League (MML), the Michigan Townships Association (MTA), and the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC), the Department of Treasury decided to develop a list of Local Unit Financial Advisors (LUFA) to help local units meet and overcome their challenges.

These financial advisors have had their credentials reviewed, and their backgrounds checked before being posted on this list. Any Michigan local unit of government may contact the members of this list to seek their assistance with fiscal challenges, if they so choose. Any connection made from this list will be an arm’s length, fee-for-service arrangement between the local unit of government and the members of this list. The Michigan Department of Treasury, MML, MTA and the MMAC will not be parties to the agreement nor have any connection to the agreement in any way. This list of advisors are for the review and consideration of each local unit of government for possible assistance with financial matters.

Bob Kittle is among the Michigan Department of Treasury’s vetted Local Unit Financial Advisors.