BUDGET OFFICER CITY OF ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA
OUR COMMUNITY Rock Hill, South Carolina is a business-savvy blend of historic charm and responsibly implemented expansion. The city is located in the north-central area of South Carolina approximately 20 miles south of Charlotte, NC along the I-77 corridor. Rock Hill is a growing community of 74,000 residents, and the City encompasses over 44 square miles. Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, SC and the only major South Carolina city in the Charlotte area. Both mountains and shores are only three hours away. The city offers scenic riverfront views along the Catawba River and is home to numerous nature trails, parks, sports facilities, recreation centers, restaurants, and more. The historic downtown, Old Town Rock Hill, is home to buildings built as early as the 1840’s, that now brings dining and retail options to the community. Rock Hill is a thriving city that values community, history, culture and arts. With several major festivals and events each year, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Rock Hill has become a leader in Sports. Having brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact to the area through sports tourism, Rock Hill has become the hub for major national and international sporting events. With thriving local sports programming, the children of our community get access to state-ofthe-art facilities and programs. Want to cheer on the home team? Within a 30 minute drive, you can check out several professional sports teams in various sports leagues, including the NFL, MiLB, AHL, MLL, USL and NASCAR. Rock Hill earned its name in 1852, when the Charlotte/ Columbia/Augusta Railroad line was being constructed through the area. The City was incorporated in 1892. Build your family’s future in Rock Hill. With three colleges, a top-tier K-12 public education district offering Schools of Choice, multiple charter schools, and numerous private schooling options, children get a great start here.
Rock Hill is a place you’ll want to call home.
OUR ORGANIZATION The City of Rock Hill is a full-service city. The City operates under a Council/Manager form of government. The City Council is the legislative and policy-making body of the City and is composed of a Mayor and six council members, all of whom are elected for staggered 4 year-terms. The City of Rock Hill has been named an All-America city twice, in 1969 and again in 2019, and was recently named a Top Work Place for 2022. Working with City Council, the City Management team formulates our Strategic Plan which is renewed every three years.
The City is experiencing substantial growth and is in the process of aggressively promoting economic development by working hard to retain its current businesses while actively recruiting prospective new companies. The City of Rock Hill has a total approved FY 2023 $275,911,517 operating budget. The City currently employees a staff of over 970 full-time employees and 200 part-time and seasonal employees. There are fourteen City Departments which include Police, Fire, Planning & Development, Economic & Urban Development, Government Affairs, Strategy Management, Neighborhood Services, Human Resources, Finance, Electric, Water & Wastewater, Public Works, General Services, and Parks Recreation and Tourism. The City also owns and operates a free, all-electric, fixed-route bus system, My Ride. The City of Rock Hill has proven to provide a stable working environment, opportunities for growth and a wide range of benefits to support your lifestyle, including the ability to accrue vacation and sick time. The city recognizes 11.5 paid holidays per year and offers maternity and paternity benefits, as well as an elder care benefit. With an on-site healthcare clinic operated by Atrium Health, employees and their dependents have access to free healthcare for minor illnesses and yearly check-ups. The City is a member of the SC State Retirement System, so when the time comes, you will be able to retire with a peace of mind.
MESSAGE FROM CITY MANAGER I’ve had the opportunity to see the City develop into a thriving place where people want to live and work. The wonderful people who work on our team ensure that we provide excellent service to our customers. We encourage all of our employees to engage in our community, departments, programs and projects both inside and outside of work. Rock Hill is home to over 400 acres of parks and facilities including our internationally-acclaimed BMX Supercross track and velodrome, award-winning Police and Fire Departments, and diverse businesses and residential neighborhoods for every age and income. We’re also actively implementing redevelopment strategies in the urban core (Knowledge Park Action Plan) and the city’s southside (Clinton ConNEXTion Action Plan) to create employment opportunities, attract new businesses, and strengthen service and retail markets. We want to make these areas thriving locations in the community where people can live, work, and enjoy entertainment. Through dedication and expertise, our employees continue to provide award-winning programs internally as well. As a City of Rock Hill employee, you’ll have the chance to learn and grow, both personally and professionally. We hope you’ll consider joining our team. David Vehaun City Manager
OUR DEPARTMENT The City of Rock Hill Finance Department, led by the City’s Chief Financial Officer, includes the divisions of Accounting, Budget & Procurement and Customer Service. The City has received the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting award for 29 consecutive years, the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 30 consecutive years, and the Certificate of Achievement for its Popular Annual Financial Report for seven years. 2022 Credit Ratings
S&P
Moody’s
General Fund
AA-
Aa3
Utility System
A+
A2
Hospitality Tax Fund
A+
A1
In July 2022, Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings (S&P) raised its rating on the City of Rock Hill’s Combined Utility System from A to A+. The rating upgrade reflects the S&P opinion of the utility’s strong financial performance trends with a stable outlook. Some factors that impacted the positive credit rating increase include demonstrated ability to meet or exceed financial projections, sound financial management, consistently healthy financial performance, and affordable rates.
Budget & Procurement Division Budget (3 employees) The Budget division performs numerous financial analyst functions including development and monitoring of a two-year budget recommendation, monthly budget to actual reports, the City’s financial dashboard, tax-increment and economic development modeling, debt management, cost allocation plans, grants monitoring, and continuing disclosure. Financial and internal control policies and procedures are developed and maintained by the Budget division. The Budget division, which includes the Budget Officer, one Financial Analyst, and one Accountant, prepares presentations for the City Council budget. The Budget division is located in the Finance Department of City Hall and works closely with the Chief Financial Officer, the Accounting division, the Customer Service division, Human Resources and City Management. Procurement and Warehouse (6 employees) The Budget Officer also oversees procurement for the City, which includes an extensive City supply warehouse. The division is located at the City’s Operations Center and the staff includes a Procurement and Warehouse Manager, a Procurement Analyst, a Purchasing Specialist, a Warehouse Supervisor and two warehouse clerks. City purchasing cards and vendor registration are managed by procurement.
BUDGET OFFICER DESCRIPTION: The Budget Officer manages the City’s Budget and Procurement processes. The Budget
Officer is responsible for the development of the City Manager’s two-year City Budget recommendation. Upon City Council approval of the budget, the Budget Officer compiles the budget document and monitors budget progress and performance throughout the year. Additionally, the Budget Officer develops and maintains the long-term capital improvement program and cost allocation plan of the City. The position works closely with accounting, customer service, as well as the Human Resources department. The position is visible throughout the organization and communicates directly with all City department heads and division leads in the City. The Budget Officer also develops and conducts presentations to the City Council in public sessions. Special project work for the City is often part of the Budget Officer’s daily activities. This position reports to the Chief Financial Officer.
RESPONSIBILITIES: •
• • • • • •
Supervises the development of a 2-year balanced budget for multiple divisions on the line-item detail level for Council consideration, this includes department coordination, data gathering/input, forecasting year end-expenses and revenues, coordinating department meetings and preparing workshop presentations for Council. Creates annual budget documents to standards set by the National Government Finance Officers Association, including drafting letters, compiling financials, personnel data, performance measurements, capital improvement plan and debt obligations. Oversees the procurement process and City warehouse and monitors compliance with the internal procurement policy as well as any other state/federal policies. Works with the CFO and Controller to compile and summarize the results of the City’s finances for the previous year and prepare an audited Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. Reviews financial policies and operating procedures in all departments to ensure the City is carrying out its legal responsibilities and is compliant with rating agency expectations. Forecasts 10-year revenues and expenses for all utility capital projects requiring regular coordination with utility directors to update the utility capital plan and determine rate changes necessary to fund capital improvements. Works closely with the Department Director to get proper records, data and needs for City Management and Council requests.
QUALIFICATIONS: • • • • • • • • • •
Requires a Master’s Degree in business, finance, accounting, management or related field. MPA preferred. Requires six years in division management and in supporting City Management and Council or closely related experience. The equivalent combination of education and related work experience may be considered. Certified Public Accountant strongly preferred. Certified Public Finance Officer or SC Certified Government Financial Officer preferred. Possess exemplary leadership, communications and team building skills. Demonstrated experience in making sound financial, technical and management decisions. Ability to maintain positive customer-focused relationships with co-workers, supervisors, agencies, the general public, and all other internal and external customers. Personally demonstrates appropriate customer service skills. Must be adaptable to performing under stress when confronted with emergency situations and/or tight deadlines. Personally demonstrates the priority of safety and creates an environment of safety-first culture.
BUDGET OFFICER CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES: The City of Rock Hill is a rapidly growing area
with multiple ongoing economic development projects. With significant growth, comes significant challenges to serve our community. The City is the provider of electric, water, and wastewater services in the area and serves over 34,000 utility customers within and outside of the City limits. Our water filter plant and wastewater treatment plants are both undergoing upgrades to be able to serve our growing community. These plant expansions are just two of the multi-million dollar, multi-year projects underway in the City.
OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE:
The ideal candidate is a professional leader with an inclusive, team-oriented management style. The Budget Officer sets the tone for fiscal responsibility through communication with all City Departments. An accounting background is desired and preferred. The ideal candidate exemplifies the importance of fiscal accountability and responsibility and has the ability to build a strong team who will maintain the high standards. The ideal candidate is a personable, approachable individual who is a strong communicator.
COMPENSATION:
The salary range for the position is $79,622 to $115,232. Appointment within the range will be DOQE. Along with salary, the City of Rock Hill offers an attractive benefits package.
TO APPLY:
If interested in our outstanding opportunity, please visit our website at www.cityofrockhill.com/jobs. Resumes will be screened according to the qualifications outlined above. Screening interviews with the most suitable candidates for our team will be conducted by the Human Resources department and a select group of candidates will be presented to our Chief Financial Officer.
P.O. BOX 11706 Rock Hill, SC 29731-1706 Tel: 803-325-2500 www.cityofrockhill.com