Finance Department QUARTERLY REPORT APRIL 2021
Meet The Finance Department Finance Director Karin Callan, CPA 20 Years
Accounting Manager
Asst. Finance Director Starts 4/27
Accountant Sue Raajan 3.5 Years
Shane Byrd 8 Years Accounting Specialist Courtney George <6 Months
Payroll Specialist Stephanie Tucker <1 Years
Accounting Specialist Robin Common 2.5 Years
Financial Analyst Heather Campbell <1 Years
Sr. Accounting Specialist Tracy Wiley <6 Months
The City of Douglasville’s Finance Department is comprised of 9 staff members that specialize in a variety of areas in Finance and Accounting: payroll, purchasing, business licensing, accounting and financial reporting
Accomplishments and Activities
GFOA “CAFR Award”
Awarded to Public Entities for Outstanding Reporting of Financial Activities
Received for Audited Year End 6/30/2019
Must meet criteria required to get the award
Not a state requirement to complete
Requires Statistical Data which is helpful for the reader of the financial statements
Unqualified Audit Opinion For Audited Year 2019-20 Unqualified Opinion Means: Numbers are Presented Fairly Audit prep begins in June (receivables, payables, fixed assets, depreciation, revenues, expenses, encumbrances, etc…) Auditors engaged remotely via VPN and Suralink: testing of data, walk throughs of internal control process, review of supporting documentation, review of minutes Auditor’s issue financial report ( Usually in mid-December ) Financial Report due to state by December 31st Financial Report due to GFOA by December 31st James Bence with Mauldin & Jenkins presented audit report at 2/25/2021 Council Meetings
Online Transparency Center KEY POINTS Insights Product from ClearGov, Inc. $5,500 Annual Cost Currently Live! Website Integration for Seamless Navigation
Cloud-Based Software That Transforms Financials into Easy to Digest and Interactive Infographics Uploads directly from Finance Software
Meets Our Branding Requirements
Non- Financial folks can engage w/City Budget, Projects and Departments
Optimized for Viewing on all Devices
City Projects section under construction.
Online Transparency Center
www.douglasvillega.gov/our-city/transparency-center
Finance Department Manuals and Guides KEY POINTS
Consulting with JAT Consulting Services, Inc.
Assists with annual audit preparation
Has created manuals, guides, and standard procedures for various Finance Department functions.
Bank Reconciliations
Hotel / Motel Taxes
Capital Asset Management
Completed Manuals/Guides BANK RECS
HOTEL/MOTEL TAX
CAPITAL ASSETS
Procurement and RFPs
Current active RFPs:
Classification and Compensation Study (Open until 4/5/21) Professional Design Services SR92 & CS 532 from Bowden St. to McCarley St. (Open until 3/26/21) Riverside Parkway Bridge Construction (Awarded) Hwy 5 Transportation and Land Use Study (Awarded)
32 RFPs Since 2019 8 RFPs in 2020 5 RFPs Already in 2021
Savings on Power Bills Savings through Utility Management Services, Inc. Regularly analyzes our Georgia power bills to determine best rates We are only billed for our savings, and are split 50/50 We receive an account analysis monthly that details savings and changes From October 2019 to March 2021, we have saved $46,880!
Savings on Power Bills
The Future Ahead ALWAYS CONSIDERING TOMORROW
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FY 2022 Finance Department Goals
Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Goal 4
To prepare the budget documents at the highest quality that reflect both the guidelines established by the National Advisory on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA’s best practices. Submit the 2022 Budget document to GFOA w/in 90 days of budget adoption for consideration of the Distinguished Budget Award. Continue to identify opportunities to improve and expand the Customer Service experience. Implement software to send text message reminders to customers about upcoming deadlines. Ensure the Transparency Center and Project Center on ClearGov are kept up to date for all residents to view. Help Staff improve knowledge to better serve residents as well as internal customers. Encourage staff to attend trainings offered by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, GFOA, and GGFOA. Perform a total audit of the City’s Capital assets per the recommendation by GFOA to complete an audit of capital assets every 5 years. Determine the scope of work and necessity of a consultant/firm Complete audit of capital assets with recommendation and corrections narrative to management
Alcohol Licensing Ordinance Changes Recent ordinance update adopted 2/15/2021 ORD-2021-2 Limit survey exemption and revise method of measuring distance Amend license fee for malt beverages manufacture Clearer definition of brewpubs / provide for brewery tap rooms’ Limit types of pouring establishments located w/in prohibited distance from certain other uses. Future alcohol licensing ordinance changes Amend section pertaining to alcohol licensing penalty fees; to change from a flat $500 penalty to a rate of 10% on total license fees due.
GFOA Budget Award
Did not submit for FY21 due to COVID-19; will be submitting for FY22
The required criteria pushes best practices such as Goals and Objectives , Performance Measures
Participants Include: Counties, Municipalities, School Districts, Universities
To get the award : 2 of 3 Reviewers Must Rate the Document Proficient or Outstanding based on criteria established by GFOA
Customer Convenience Enhancements Implement reminder text notification software for customers to opt-in Budgeted in FY22 for additional postage/mailing costs Additional notices for alcohol licensing renewals Courtesy call to businesses for renewal reminder Renewal paperwork is due 11/15 annually, calls will be made in the proceeding week License fees are due 12/31 annually, calls will be made in the proceeding week
Questions & Comments