MAJOR FUNCTIONS
Under the general guidance and leadership of the Mayor and City Commission, the City Clerk/Treasurer is responsible for serving as the City's financial executive and steward and official recordkeeper. This position provides leadership in financial management, fiscal transparency and modernization of administrative and financial systems that support City government operations. The position is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the City’s financial systems including audit worthiness while also improving administrative efficiency, strengthening financial reporting, and enhancing transparency to the City Commission and the public. This highly responsible professional position requires strong financial, accounting, investment and leadership skills. The various roles include leading the City Clerk team, Accounting/Payroll team, and Utility Billing Team. These operations represent key public-facing functions of the City and must be delivered with professionalism, efficiency and strong customer service orientation and collaboration with other City teams, leaders, Commissioners and entities. The City seeks a forward-thinking professional who combines strong financial leadership with the ability to improve systems, streamline processes, and responsibly leverage technology to strengthen municipal operations. Substantial administrative and detailed financial data is necessary daily, including the ability to lead teams responsible for the daily operations of all areas of responsibility. Maintains records of all Commission proceedings, handles correspondence on behalf of the City Commission, prepares agendas and executes directives of the Commission.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
To perform this job successfully, an individual must satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. These are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position.
- Advises the City Commission, City Manager, City Leadership, and other City Team Members on financial and administrative matters
- Communicates and cooperates with other Charter Officers to achieve successful outcomes for the City
- Leads teams responsible for accounting, payroll, utility billing, public records, records management, customer service and other administrative and financial duties
- Leads, mentors, coaches and provides daily guidance to team, including recruitment, hiring, supervision and retention
- Development of policies and procedures relating to financial controls and administrative efficiencies
- Preparation and monitoring of the Departmental budgets
- Address departmental, citizen, Commissioner and other concerns and complaints
- Provides information and assistance on request, including answering questions, researching records, and providing direction to other resources for citizens, businesses and other City Departments
- Coordinates information flow between the Commission and City Staff, including assisting City departments and Commission members
- Identifies opportunities to streamline administrative processes and improve operational systems
- Promotes responsible use of technology and digital tools to modernize financial and administrative operations
- Maintains the public trust by keeping confidential information as appropriate
- Attends regular and special meetings, including City Commission meetings
- Composes correspondence, reports, agendas, memos, letters, minutes, meeting notices, resolutions, and ordinances on behalf of the City Commission and the Cit
- Conducts the necessary research and provides support materials to aid the Commission in making informed decision
- Carries out assignments and/or directives of the City Commission
- Performs all other duties as assigned
CITY CLERK DUTIES:
- Serves as Clerk to the City Commission
- Maintenance of all official City documents and legislative records of the City
- Recordation of actions by the City Commission, including the identification and implementation of appropriate automated systems to accomplish the same (records management, historical indexing, legislative tracking)
- Serves as the official recordkeeper of the City
- Trains other team members regarding public record compliance and expectations
- Coordinates the preparation and/or review of agendas and minutes and legal advertisements, and official public notice announcements
- Attends regular and special Commission meetings and records Commission actions (minutes); organizes and maintains records of minutes, ordinances, and resolutions
- Attests the Mayor’s and/or Commissioner’s signature(s) on official documents and maintains responsibility for the City Seal
- Responsible for the completion and execution of all agreements necessary for the function of the City approved by the City Commission
- Supervises and leads process regarding public records requests, responses and disposals
- Responsible for assuring compliance with Federal and State mandates (Public Records, Records Retention, Data Privacy, etc.)
- Serves as the City’s election official, including liaison with the Bay County Supervisor of Elections for City elections, and a member of the canvassing board
- Prepares any items for ballot presentation to voters
- Administrative responsibility for the Charter Review Committee, Infrastructure Surtax Citizens’ Committee and the Panama City Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund
- Administrative and ancillary services provided to additional City Boards (i.e., Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), Downtown Improvement Board (DIB), Planning and Zoning Board, Panama City Housing Authority, Multiple Pension Boards (i.e., Police Firefighters, General, Supplemental) and Panama City Port Authority
- Responsible for maintaining list of City board members, term expiration dates, requirements, and assist in the application and confirmation process
- Ensures City Commission meetings and all other meetings conform to the City’s adopted rules of procedure and/or Robert’s Rules of Order
- Maintains all ordinances and resolutions, prepares the minutes of the City Commission and all other special meetings, countersigns and maintains the official copy of all contracts, and, as provided by Florida Statutes, is responsible for the collection, storage, disposition and archiving of all public records
- Writes resolutions or proclamations as needed and ensures their processing
REASURER-FINANCIAL/ACCOUNTING/PAYROLL DUTIES:
- Oversees the City’s financial management systems including accounting, payroll and financial reporting
- Manages and analyzes the investment portfolio of the City funds and provides status, activity and performance reports to the Commission. Invests funds in accordance with sound financial practice and City Investment Policy
- Maintains relationships and is responsible for communication and ongoing efforts with banking and financial services partners
- Maintains and ensures the audit worthiness and financial compliance of the City at all times
- Lead efforts and selection of audit firm in conjunction with the audit selection committee
- Review and approval of journal entries to the financial statements for the City
ACCOUNTING, COMPLIANCE AND FINANCIAL REPORTING FOR:
- The City of Panama City, including all funds, cost centers and general ledger accounts
- The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)
- The Downtown Improvement Board (DIB)
- Panama City Community Fund (PCCF)
- Defined Pension Plans (i.e., Supplemental Plan, Police and Firefighters’ Plans)
- Oversees accounts payable and vendor payment approvals, including review and approval of all vendor invoices and payments
- Review and update of the loan portfolio, including monthly statement reconciliation
- Review of grant expenditures to ensure projects comply with grant award amounts and maintenance of loan draw-down schedules based on expenditures
- Review of payroll processing and withholdings, including cafeteria plan payments, pension and other retirement plan contributions, payroll tax submissions and wage garnishments
- Preparation of monthly financial statements and General Fund Balance Analysis for agenda presentation
- Calculation and payment of merchant fee abatements
- Annual Financial Statement audit preparation and administration, including review of the final Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports for the City of Panama City, the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Downtown Improvement Board and the Panama City Community Fund
- Development of Division policies and procedures
UTILITY BILLING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE:
- Oversees the City’s utility billing operation which is a primarily public interaction with the City
- Maintain fair and consistent procedures for billing adjustments and payment arrangements
- Ensures that residents and businesses receive accurate and timely billing information
- Oversees the collection of sewer and water impact fees before the installation of service
- Promotes accessible payment options including digital and online payment systems
- Establishes and maintains service standards that emphasize professionalism, responsiveness and problem solving
- Identify improvements that simplify billing communications and improve customer experiences
- Review and approval of water account adjustments, cash receipts from online payments, lockbox payments and on-site payments
- Review of billing and bank deposits
- Review of the cut-off lists, final billing, refunds and delinquent water accounts
- Development of Division policies and procedures
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Knowledge of Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards, Governmental Auditing and Generally Accepted Governmental Accounting principles, procedures, practices and their application to the accounting system
- Knowledge and skills relating to financial analysis and financial statement preparation
- Knowledge and understanding of the operations of computerized accounting systems
- Knowledge and skills relating to applicable Federal, State, and City laws and regulations relating to all departmental operations
- Strong leadership skills, including the ability to lead a diverse group of accounting and financial areas and team members
- Ability to identify opportunities to improve systems and administrative processes
- Ability and desire to leverage technology to solve challenges to be efficient and effective
- Strong problem-solving skills and conflict-resolution skills
- Ability to carry out complex verbal and written instructions
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing to groups and individuals with varying degrees of accounting knowledge and experience
- Ability to establish and maintain effective, cooperative and team-focused working relationships with team members, leaders, other departments, other agencies and the general public
- Ability to train, supervise, mentor and review the work of accounting and administrative team members
- Ability to prepare required reports accurately and in a timely manner
- Ability to work with minimum supervision
- Strong Knowledge of Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
- Desire and ability to independently learn third-party software in an efficient and effective manner
- Ability to compose correspondence, minutes, reports and other written materials
- Knowledge of the Federal, State, County and City regulations (including City Charter and municipal codes, ordinances and resolutions)
- Knowledge of municipal and governmental financial management, including investment of funds, accounting, payroll, financial record keeping and billing practices
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, public administration or related field
- Master’s degree in finance, accounting or related field is preferred
- Certified Municipal Clerk credentials or ability to within three (3) years
- Certified Public Accountant, Certified Government Finance Officer or Certified Public Finance Officer (minimum of one required)
- Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in government finance with five (5) years in a supervisory position
- Valid Driver’s License
A comparable amount of training and/or experience may be substituted for the minimum qualifications.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
SUMMARY:
- Occasionally - Lift/Carry: 20+ lbs., Push/Pull: 25+ lbs., Squat/Kneel, Climb, Reach above Shoulder and Reach Outward
- Frequently - Lift/Carry: 10-20 lbs., Push/Pull: 15-25 lbs., Bend, Stand, Walk, Drive
- Constantly - Twist/Turn, Handling/Fine Motor Skills, Sit, Type/Keyboard
These are intended only as illustrations of various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position.