Finance and Administration
Department Summary
About Finance and Administrative Services Department
The Finance and Administration Services Department is responsible for the City’s finance, accounting, utility billing and City Clerk functions.
Finance is responsible for managing the City’s revenues and expenditures. Finance staff includes a Finance Director, two Accounting Associates and an Accountant. One of the City's Accounting Associates is responsible for payroll and utility billing, which includes customer service for over 3,000 utility customers. The other Accounting Associate is responsible for accounts payable and accounts receivable. The City's Accountant is responsible for journal entries, bank reconciliations and financial reports.
Administration Services consists of a City Clerk, Deputy City Clerk and an Administrative Assistant I. These staff members are a direct connection to residents, serving them at the City Hall front desk daily or facilitating their involvement in local government. We also provide a range of support services to all public officials and staff. The City Clerk's office is responsible for coordinating the legislative process, records and information management, public records requests, citizen requests for action, contracting, business and animal licensing.
The Administrative Assistant I performs cash receipting and utility customer service, answers or directs inquiries and requests for action and processes rental facility, special event permit and pet license applications. This staff member also assists the City Clerk, primarily in records management. The Deputy City Clerk manages the front office and issues business licenses and home occupation business licenses in partnership with the state's Business Licensing Service.
The City Clerk and Deputy City Clerk coordinate the City's legislative process by preparing meeting agendas, minutes and notices for the City Council and its advisory boards in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act and other meeting policies and procedures. The City Clerk prepares and tracks ordinances and resolutions, and publishes and codifies ordinances. The City Clerk is the liaison to King County elections and manages rosters of elected and appointed officers.
As the City's Public Records Officer, the City Clerk manages a citywide records management program, safeguarding public records as required by state law. The Clerk also coordinates public records request response ensuring compliance with the Public Records Act, working in partnership with the City Attorney. The City Clerk serves as the designated agent for receiving claims and lawsuits against the City.
Staffing Level
The Finance and Administrative Services Department has the following employees:
- City Clerk - 1
- Administrative Assistant III- 1
- Administrative Associate I - 1
- Finance Director - 1
- Accountant - 1
- Finance Associate - 2
- Intern - 0.2 FTE
2023/2024 changes to staffing in this Department include:
- Promotion of Administrative Assistant III to Deputy City Clerk
- Permanently changing a 0.5 FTE Finance Associate to a 1.0 FTE Finance Associate
As this Department provides administrative services (including utility billing services) to the rest of the City, part of the salaries and benefits of the Department's employees are allocated to the City's proprietary funds (Water, Sewer and Storm Drainage) and the Building and Permitting Fund, leaving a total of 4.08 FTEs in the Department's budget.
Significant Changes to Expenditures
Changes to Salaries and Wages and Benefits. At the beginning of 2022, Council approved increasing the FTE of one Accounting Associate from 0.5 FTE to 1.0 FTE due an employee on leave and workload. The cost of the increase is not reflected in the 2022 budget. This budget keeps that position at 1.0 FTE. In addition, this budget includes promoting the Administrative Assistant III to Deputy City Clerk to reflect the need for backup and succession planning for the City Clerk Position.
Changes to Professional Services. Next year the Department plana to move forward with the development of a long-term financial plan, a project that is deferred from the 2021-2022 budget. The project involves projecting revenues, expenses, and key factors that have a financial impact on the organization to create an important tool for proactive problem-solving and informed decision-making. The professional services budget also includes an increase for travel and training to pre-pandemic levels.
2021 & 2022 Accomplishments
Finance
- Prepared 2020 and 2021 Financial Statements
- Updated monthly and quarterly financial reports
- Reconfigured finance staff duties and full-time employee allocation
- Assisted with Human Services and Small Business Assistance grant programs
- Combined the City's fees into one resolution
- Implemented a new financial software, including payroll and utility billing modules
- Prepared 2023/2024 Biennial Budget using new software
- Updates to Utility Duvall Municipal Code
- Updates to Personnel Duvall Municipal Code
City Clerk
- Coordinated two rounds of small business grant funding for pandemic relief
- Managed Human Services grant funding process
- Completed revision to Council Rules of Procedure
- Developed revised calendaring system for City Council business
- Accelerated and streamlined business license and home occupation business license review process
- Completed transition to hybrid public meetings in compliance with Open Public Meetings Act and pandemic mandates
- Managed appointment process for two City Council vacancies and onboarded three new Councilmembers
- Addressed a backlog of citizen requests for action
- Updated fees for public records requests for ease of administration
- Developed a Deputy City Clerk job description and reconfigured staff duties in the department
- Prepared the visitor's center for use as a facility for public meetings
- Completed transition to new cell phone carrier for city cell phones
- Implemented NEOGOV human resources software
- Facilitated staff Wellness Committee and re-qualified for the WellCity designation
- Fully implemented adopted electronic signature policy using AdobeSign
- Incremental improvements to contracting procedures
- Assisted in developing ARPA funding recommendations
- Updated special event permit application
- Further automation of facility rental procedure
- Assisted in transition to OpenGov software for utility billing and cash receipting
- Oversaw successful Special Recycling Collection events
- Coordinated and managed successful Light Up Duvall events
- Compiled information and created monthly newsletters to the community
2023 & 2024 Goals and Objectives
Finance
- Successful annual financial and accountability audits
- Update the following policies:
Fund reserves: General, Contingency and Utility Funds
Debt
Capital assets
- Create standard operating procedures for all Finance positions
- Identify new revenue streams
- Assist with the City's long-range financial plan
- Broaden the City's Electronic Funds Transfer Policy to include general vendor payments
City Clerk
- Purchase and implement public records request management software in conjunction with the development of updated templates and procedures
- Improve the archiving and retrieval of email records by transitioning to the expanded use of existing software
- Maximize the use of space in the City Hall facility by dispositioning paper records in accordance with public records retention schedules
- Develop a revised information architecture for shared drive and provide written procedure for staff effort to disposition and organize digital files
- Update records management and public records disclosure policy and procedures
- Create contracting procedure based on updated policy and revise templates and forms
Provide support to new City Administrator and continue refining the role of City Clerk personnel within the context of overall staffing structure.