To assist city management in the allocation of public resources to meet the service, program and facilities needs and expectations of the community, as determined by the Mayor and Council, in accordance with federal/state/local statutes. To develop information that demonstrates the impact of decisions on the City’s financial policies and the City’s goal of maintaining a high level of quality services.
Administration & Budget consists of the Financial Services Director, Revenue Manager, Financial Analyst and Revenue Technician.
It is the Director’s responsibility to ensure that Federal and State laws, as well as local ordinances, are followed relative to purchasing, budgeting, financial reporting, the financial services portion of the Municipal Court and various billings.
The Director prepares ordinances and resolutions for Council action for matters pertaining to City finances or the City budget, and makes presentations to the City Council providing them the information and advice related to financial matters. The Director also counsels with other directors relative to financial or budget matters.
The Director serves as the lead member of the City Manager’s Budget Team to develop Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets for the City Council. The budget is the primary policy document of the City Council, and communicates the Council finance priorities on public input.
The Director is also a member of the City's Economic Development Team. The Team coordinates all aspects of economic development activities in the City, particularly the financial, legal, infrastructure, and planning elements that go into tax increment financing (TIF) projects. There are currently three such projects underway in St. Joseph.
The Revenue Manager produces the annual Revenue Manual and assists the Director in revenue projections for both the annual budget and monthly reports. The Revenue Manager is responsible for various billings, for developing and auditing cash control procedures for all City departments, and most banking activities. She is also responsible for tracking TIF related billings and revenues. She is directly responsible for the Municipal Court services staff.
The Financial Analyst provides review, analysis and reporting on the City's financial and budgeting activities as assigned. He assists in the administration of the financial aspects of the various economnic development and redevelopment agreements and activities of the City. The Analyst also prepares the City's annual indirect cost plan.
The Revenue Technician reports to the Director, providing support in data entry and various clerical tasks related to producing budget reports and the budget document. She is also responsible for billing and collection of parking tickets and assists the Revenue Manager in handling cash deposits and various other revenue related activities. She does a great deal of work for the other finance managers.