Salary & Benefits

Annual Salary: $104,561.64 - $133,452.84 Paid Time Off (PTO)

Self-insured medical, dental, & vision coverage

Free access to City owned health clinic MiCare

WA State pension plan

Life insurance

Voluntary long term disability & long term care insurance

Wellness incentive program

Flexible Spending Account

Self-insured workers compensation coverage

Relocation reimbursement for out of state candidate

Note from City Manager Cliff Moore

We are seeking a leader, mentor, manager, and team player; someone who is visionary, yet practical. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills; be able to take a hard look at City operations, challenge entrenched processes, and implement process improvement. The successful Director of Finance and Budget candidate will have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills while being open and approachable. She/he will be someone who works with the City Manager, her/his direct reports, and other City staff to find solutions to problems. Customer service will not be just a catch phrase but rather, along with integrity, a core principle. The best candidate will be respectful of her/his staff, delegate and encourage an environment where creativity will flourish, and will expect results and accountability. Other important characteristics are experience managing in lean times and the ability to anticipate and resolve issues before they become problems.

Director of Finance & Budget

2

“We are seeking a leader, mentor, manager and team player; someone who is visionary, yet practical.”

Yakima is a full service city. Its 2018 General Government budget is about $77 million and its total budget is just over $238 million. Based on the 2015 CAFR, approximately 30% of employees are in General Government, 25% in Police, 12% in Fire, 8% in Wastewater, 7% in Transit, 5% in Streets, 4% in Water and 6% in other activities.

akima is governed by a seven-member Council operating within the traditional Council – Manager form of government. Council members serve staggered four-year terms and are elected by specific districts. The Mayor is selected by the Council from among its members. The Finance and Budget Director reports to the City Manager.

The Government

The Finance Department manages and optimizes the City’s financial affairs and provides professional, knowledgeable, and courteous service to all City employees and customers. The Finance Department is structured into three teams:

Finance is made up of three different

operating divisions:

Financial Services

14 Full Time Employees

Purchasing

6 Full Time Employees

Utility Services

14 Full Time Employees

The Finance Department

Yakima is governed by a seven-member Council operating within the traditional Council – Manager form of government. Council members are elected as representatives from within the seven Yakima districts serving staggered four-year terms. The Mayor is selected by the Council from among its members. The Director of Finance and Budget reports to the City Manager.

Public Finance, Accounting & Budget – This team is responsible for accounting, expenditures, revenues, CAFR, audits, budgets (General Fund, enterprise, capital). They also oversee financial analysis, risk management, public finances, bond redemption, and debt services. Purchasing – The guardians of the public procurement process, the purchasing division provides transparent, fair and open procurement support for 36 City and 39 County departments. Utility Services – This customer service team is the support division for the five City of Yakima utilities: water, irrigation, refuse, storm water and waste water. They handle account set up, meter reading, billing, payments and collection functions. This division also takes payments for parking tickets and bus passes, administers dog licensing, and processes all City mail.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for the Director of Finance and Budget position will have advanced knowledge of the principles, procedures, and techniques of current budgetary and financial operations; public fund investment and risk management principles and practices; best principles and practices for project and financial management. The ideal candidate will also have considerable knowledge of technical accounting principles, theories, and concepts; professional

Essential Duties & Responsibilities Budget – Lead, support, and mentor staff on production and monitoring of budget and financial documents. Provide timely information to department and City Manager’s office. Prepare CAFR and liaison with state of WA for yearly audits. Purchasing – Support, guide, and mentor purchasing team to ensure compliance with local, state and federal policies and regulations. Payroll – Support, guide and mentor payroll staff. Ensure procedures are followed to provide timely payroll services. Utility Billing – Support, guide, and mentor Utility Billing team to ensure rate payers receive outstanding customer service. Ensure utility staff works cohesively and maximizes services and revenue collection. Public Finance – Provide sounding board for public Finance Officer; mentor and guide staff to ensure accurate and timely public investment, risk management, debt services, reporting and applications are implemented.

industry standards; accounting codes, classifications, terminology and requirements. Knowledge of Federal and State laws and regulations; Washington State Police and Fire pension statutes; local ordinances and City policies. Knowledge of data processing applications pertaining to accounting systems. Knowledge of automated finance software systems. A Master’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely related field (Bachelor’s Degree required); plus eight (8) years of progressively responsible business finance management including experience in risk management, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), corporate budget development and oversight is required. Qualifying experience must include a minimum of three (3) years in a supervisory capacity. Previous public financial administration, accounting and/or budget experience is required. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License and/or Certified Public Financial Officer designation, and Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certifications are highly preferred.

Yakima is located in the south central region of Washington State and covers about 28 square miles. Sunshine is the norm with 270 to 300 blue sky days per year. The area enjoys four separate and distinct seasons with the summers being hot and dry while the winters are cool with light snowfall. Yakima is the largest city in Yakima County, serves as the county seat, and, with a population of more than 94,000, is the 11th largest city in Washington State. Most of the people who founded Yakima were of European decent, although significant numbers of African-Americans and Asian-Americans homesteaded in the area as well. Recently, the Yakima Valley has experienced a large influx of Latino immigrants, which now account for approximately 45% of the population in Yakima County. Today, the Yakima community enjoys a rich mixture of people from many cultural and ethnic backgrounds. 74% of the population has at least a high school diploma and 18% has a Bachelor’s degree or higher. The median annual household income was estimated to be $43,956 in 2016. The cost of living in Yakima is below the national average at 95% and the state does not require income tax. The average sales price of a home is $192,000 and the average commuting time to work is about 15 minutes. Beyond K through 12, the area boasts a private technical college, a community college, a university, an osteopathic medical school, and a number of vocational education programs.

Geography, Demographics & Climate

Yakima has been the cultural, business, educational, health services, and governmental focal point of the Central Washington region since it was founded more than 125 years ago. Originally built along the then-new Northern Pacific Railway company line, Yakima has grown from its agricultural roots into a vibrant, diverse, metropolitan city. With a rich history and a bright future, Yakima is the Heart of Central Washington. Yakima's economy has traditionally revolved around agriculture and a wide variety of crops are grown in the Yakima Valley. These include more than 30 varieties of fruit (apples, cherries, peaches, pears, nectarines, apricots and berries) and vegetables (such as asparagus and eggplant). Not many people know that the region produces about 75% of all the hops (a key ingredient in beer) grown in the United States. While Yakima still relies on agriculture to drive its economy, over 250 manufacturing firms call the area home and produce a variety of products including aircraft parts, wood products, plastic products, recreational vehicles, and communications technology. Healthcare plays a large role in the Valley as represented by five hospitals and over 400 first-class physicians covering 36 specialties. Clinics provide a full range of treatment with open heart surgery, neurosurgery, and cancer care among them. Tourism is the fastest growing segment of the Yakima economy. More than 70 wineries are located in the Valley and regularly draw visitors to sample and buy internationally renowned varietals. Multiple craft breweries and distilleries utilize home-grown products in their unique offerings. Outdoor recreation, including water and snow skiing, fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, and white water rafting, also makes Yakima a favorite destination for people from throughout the Northwest and around the world. Finally, Yakima is home to a minor league baseball team (the Yakima Pippins, a member of the West Coast League), NAPB championship basketball team (Yakima Sunkings), and hosts numerous regional sports tournaments (baseball, basketball, softball and soccer, for example).

Apply

Submit an online application at www.yakimawa.gov.

A complete online application must include the following attachments:

Cover letter and Resume

Name and complete contact information for 5 references; to include at least one current or previous supervisor

Professional licenses or certifications

Written responses to the following:

1. Detail your most applicable budget experience and financial experience. Be sure to include your overall philosophy regarding the public budget and financial management process.

2. What do you feel is the greatest issue local governments currently face regarding fiscal sustainability?

City of Yakima

129 N 2nd Street Yakima, WA 98901

Questions: Debbie Korevaar Chief Examiner 509-576-6619

How to Apply & Learn More about Yakima

www.downtownyakima.com

www.visityakima.com

www.yakimawa.gov

Informational websites