Finance
FY 2021-23 Adopted Policy Budget
Who we are and what we do
BUREAUS/DIVISIONS
Administration
The Administration Bureau provides leadership, oversight, and administrative support to the five Bureaus in the Finance Department. Administration’s primary responsibility is managing the Department’s general operations to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Also, this bureau supports the Director of Finance with budget preparation, labor negotiations, development of sound fiscal policies, development of strategic plans to meet the short-term and long-term financial goals of the City, addresses all Department’s personnel matters in coordination with the Department of Human Resource Management, and manages all agenda reports for the Finance Department.
Budget
The Budget Bureau is responsible for developing a balanced and fiscally responsible budget that meets City Council priorities and community needs. It produces timely and accurate analysis of program revenues and expenditures, provides consultative services to ensure City programs are efficient and effective, compiles and produces the Biennial Proposed Budget and prepares the Adopted Budget, and provides thorough legislative analysis to the City Administrator and elected officials to ensure the City remains proactive in its legislative agenda.
Controller
The Controller Bureau is responsible for maintenance of the City’s accounting records, financial reporting, audits, payments, and procurement. This includes the preparation of timely and accurate financial information and reports to the City Administrator, the Mayor and City Council, external funders, investors and the public; maintaining the integrity of information in the City’s financial management systems; and the designing and monitoring of internal controls. In addition, the bureau maintains the Citywide vendor database, oversees and monitors grant programs, manages the finance-related functions of the City’s enterprise resource planning system, and provides internal and external mail services for all City departments.
Revenue Management
The Revenue Managment Bureau collects, records and reports on City revenues; deposits City-wide collections; enforces and monitors compliance with the provisions of City ordinances and complies with the State of California reporting requirements, pertaining to the following taxes: Business License, Parking, Utility Consumption, Real Estate Transfer, Marijuana, Transient Occupancy, Sales, Use and Mandatory Garbage; identifies and brings into compliance non registered and delinquent tax accounts; acts as the collection agent for all City Agencies and departments and represents the City in Small Claims Court; manages and collects all revenues derived from the City’s parking meters; and collects revenues derived from parking citations and fire inspection billings.
Treasury
The Treasury Bureau has five sub-sections: Investment, Debt Management, Cash and Operations, Payroll, and Retirement. Treasury is responsible for investment for the City, Successor Agency and Port of Oakland including managing day-to-day investments for safety, liquidity and yield; Debt Management for the City and Successor Agency, including the issuance of new debt, maintaining and restructuring debt, regulatory compliance and continuing disclosure, and preserving strong credit ratings and investor relations; Cash and Operations related services include cash collections, banking services, asset management and petty cash management. Treasury also processes timely citywide payroll and payments including benefits and taxes; maintains and upgrades HR/payroll systems, including implementing changes as compliance to labor contracts, legislative and other system requirements; and produce reports for various reporting requirements. In addition, this bureau administers all City retirement matters, including all aspects of the City’s legacy police and fire retirement system (PFRS) as well as key functions related to the CalPERS (PERS) retirements and retiree related medical including timely pension payments, facilitating all retiree medical, administering the various pension boards and committees, and oversight responsibility of a wide range of pension investment portfolios held in trust.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
SERVICE INVENTORY
External Services
Mandatory Garbage
Collect delinquent garbage invoices and issue Notifications of Property Assessment on behalf of the City’s Mandatory Garbage program.
Collections
Facilitates the collection of receivables, obligations, and debts owed to the city through courts, liens, assessments, and other legal processes.
Parking Citation Assistance
Processes all parking violation citations, and posts various citation payments. Facilitates payment plans for those unable to immediately meeting their financial obligations.
Parking Meter Collections
Parking Meter Collections is responsible for collecting parking meter revenue from the on and off-street parking meters. They also perform counting, sorting, bagging of the coins for different coin denominations and Brink’s pick up.
Internal Services
Payroll
Processes and distributes bi-weekly citywide payroll in a timely efficient way including benefits and taxes, maintains and upgrades payroll systems, and processes year-end reports and production of W-2’s and 1099R’s.
Cash & Operations
Manages cash collections, banking services, asset management and petty cash management for the City, Successor Agency and Port of Oakland. Ensure short term financial liquidity.
Debt Issuance & Investment
Debt management including the issuance of new debt, maintaining and restructuring debt, and managing day to day investment portfolios. City debt issuances including general obligation debt for infrastructure and affordable housing, master lease agreements for vehicles, and pension obligation bonds.
Retirement
Administers all three of the City’s retirement systems (CalPERS, OMERS, and PFRS). Oversees the administration of audits and retirement benefits and ensures compliance for two closed systems (PFRS and OMERS). Ensures accurate and timely pension payments, facilitates all Retiree medical, administering the various Pension Boards and Committees, and oversight responsibility of a wide range of pension Investment portfolios held in trust.
Accounts Payable
Processes the City departments’ payables ensuring that vendors are paid timely and departments are able to procure supplies and services needed to continue the operations, services, and programs benefiting the citizens of Oakland. Manages the sales tax reporting to the State Board of Equalization and 1099 Miscellaneous reporting for City vendors to the Internal Revenue Service.
General Ledger / Accounts Receivable
Provides accounting, fiscal monitoring, and financial and specialized reporting for all City departments, thereby allowing them to perform timely grant draw downs, and securing new grants. Plans and coordinates the year-end audit process and prepares the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the Single Audit Report and completes several legislative mandated measures year-end audits. Provides centralized billing and collection support to City departments.
Mailroom
Operates the City’s central shipping and receiving functions for all City departments, which is over 800,000 pieces of incoming mail and 400,000 pieces of outgoing mail annually.
Purchasing
Supports the procurement of materials, equipment and services essential to providing governmental services for the citizens of Oakland. Prepares specifications and requests for formal bids and request for proposals in collaboration with City departments.
Tax Audit/Compliance
Audits and reviews charter city tax revenue sources including Business Tax, Transient Occupancy Tax, Parking Tax, Utility Consumption Tax, Real Property Transfer Tax, and Sales Tax.
Business Tax
Collects, records and reports on City revenues; enforces and monitors the provisions of the City's ordinances; Complies with the State of California reporting requirements pertaining to the following taxes & Fees: Business Tax, Utility Users’ Tax, Real Estate Transfer, Parking Tax Transient, Occupancy Tax, Rental Adjustment Program (RAP), Excess Liter Fee (ELF), and Business Improvement District (BID).
Budget, Analysis & Operations
Develops, implements, and monitors the City’s budget. Reviews and approves personnel requisitions and budget change requests. Reviews and approves agenda reports and legislation to ensure accuracy in fiscal impact. Provides extemporaneous financial analysis and costing on various policy matters and operational issues.