Finance Department Staffing Change Request Copyrighted
October 21 , 2019
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 11.
ITEM TITLE: Finance DepartmentStaffing Change Request
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval to eliminate the
Budget Manager position, add an additional full-time
BudgeUFinancial Analyst position, and add a part-time
Accountant position.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
MVM Memo City Manager Memo
Staff Memo Staff Memo
Dubuque
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All-America City
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Finance Department Staffing Change Request
DATE: October 11, 2019
Director of Finance and Budget Jennifer Larson is recommending approval to eliminate
the Budget Manager position, add an additional full-time Budget/Financial Analyst
position, and add a part-time Accountant position.
The net cost of this revised staffing plan is $14,358 and it results in an increase of 0.50
full-time equivalents (FTE). The additional cost is covered by Fiscal Year 2020 vacancy
savings in the Finance Department.
I concur with the recommendation and respectFully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
��� ��"`'//��O" �'" �
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jml
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jennifer Raber, Finance Manager
Dubuque
THE CITY OF �
All-America City
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TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Jennifer Larson, Director of Finance and Budget
SUBJECT: Finance Department Staffing Change Request
DATE: October 11, 2019
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval to eliminate the Budget Manager
position, add an additional full-time Budget/Financial Analyst position, and add a part-time
Accountant.
BACKGROUND
The Finance and Budget departments were consolidated as part of the Fiscal Year 2020
adopted budget. The approved consolidation included the following changes in staffing:
� . . . - . - � � . . - . - . - .
Eliminate Finance Director Position -$125,056 -1.00
U rade Bud et Director to Director of Bud et and Finance +$16,395 0.00
U rade Assistant Finance Director to Finance Mana er -$2,889 0.00
Addition of Full-Time Budget Manager +$107,999 +1.00
Upgrade Part-Time Payroll Specialist to Full-Time Payroll +$24,306 +0.30
Accountant
Net Chan e $20,755 +0.30
The Budget Manager position was filled on June 17, 2019 and became vacant on August 19,
2019. The staffing plan of the Finance Department has been reviewed due to this vacancy.
DISCUSSION
The staffing plan for the Finance and Budget consolidation was developed prior to the
Director working in the Finance Department. After eight months of working directly in
Finance, the long-term staffing needs are different than what were originally adopted in the
Finance and Budget consolidation plan in March 2019.
The Director of Finance and Budget will continue to be involved in the budget process at a
managerial level. The role of the Director of Finance and Budget will include facilitating
budget meetings between the City Manager and Departments, attending City Council budget
meetings, responding to media requests related to budget, and providing guidance, direction
and training to budget staff.
In place of the Budget Manager position, an additional full-time Budget/Financial Analyst is
requested. This position will complement the work done by the existing Budget/Financial
Analyst, Rachel Kilburg. The additional Budget/Financial Analyst will assist departments in
operating and capital budget preparation, review operating and capital budgets, prepare
budget material for meetings, assist with budget projections, and prepare budget documents.
Both Budget/Financial Analyst positions will assist with other Finance duties when not
focusing on budget related work. The other finance duties will include but not be limited to
training departments on finance and budget topics, improving finance and budget processes,
and overall assistance with any analysis needed in the Finance Department.
The elimination of the full-time Budget Manager position and the addition of a full-time
Budget/Financial Analyst position results in a $22,726 budget savings in Fiscal Year 2020.
An additional need in the Finance Department is a part-time Accountant. As part of the
Finance and Budget Department consolidation, the part-time Payroll Specialist position was
replaced with a full-time Payroll Accountant position. The intent was that the full-time Payroll
Accountant would have additional capacity to assist with other accounting needs. The full-
time Payroll Accountant accumulates 160 hours of vacation per year and receives sick leave.
The current workload exceeds the capacity of the three full-time Accountants in Finance. The
full-time Accountants' existing workloads do not allow the time capacity necessary to become
trained to assist with certified annual financial report (CAFR) preparation, audit workpaper
preparation, multiple state and county reports (tax increment financing, annual financial
report, outstanding debt report, street financing report, etc.) preparation, or continued support
to departments for grant management which includes continued implementation of eCivis
grant software and preparation of the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. The
Finance Department is still utilizing Assistant Public Works Director Arielle Swift for
preparation of the schedule of expenditures of federal awards (SEFA) and continued
implementation of the eCivis grant software.
Additional upcoming Finance Department projects include implementing Wdata in Wdesk,
converting the CAFR from CAFROnline to Wdesk, converting all audit workpapers from
Microsoft Excel to Wdesk, reviewing business processes, revising the chart of accounts,
writing a ERP financial software request for proposal (RFP), implementing a new ERP
financial software, and implementing new Government Accounting Standard Board (GASB)
pronouncements including GASB 87 related to leases and GASB88 related to additional
disclosures for direct debt. The plan of the Finance Department is for the Accountants to be
more involved in report preparation and more comprehensive accounting work instead of
daily or weekly processes such as the weekly check runs and purchasing card
reconciliations.
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A part-time Accountant is requested (1 ,040 hours or 0.50 FTE). The cost of the part-time
Accountant is $37,084. The net cost of this staffing change request is as follows:
- � - � i i � - � - �
Eliminate Full-Time Bud et Mana er -$107,999 -1 .00
Addition of Full-Time Bud et/Financial Anal st +$ g5,273 +1 .00
Addition of Part-Time Accountant +$37,084 +0.50
Net Chan e $14,358 +0.50
The part-time Accountant would also help provide coverage for the other accountants when
they are sick, on vacation, or at conferences and training.
REQUEST
I respectfully recommend approval to hire a full-time Budget/Financial Analyst instead of a
full-time Budget Manager. In addition, I respectfully request approval to hire a part-time
Accountant. The additional cost is covered by Fiscal Year 2020 vacancy savings in the
Finance Department.
JML
3