Finance Department

The service mission of the Finance Department is “ To provide quality municipal financial services to our customers through teamwork and trust – managing and optimizing the City’s financial affairs, and providing fiscal responsibility and accountability focused on the highest degree of customer service, honesty, and integrity.” This mission generates the standards under which the Finance Department functions. Those standards are defined and delivered using the three basic systems every department shares: its people, its physical assets, and its processes.

The Finance Department provides a wide range of comprehensive finance support services to the Mayor, the Fresno City Council, and all City departments. These services include accounting, financial administration and reporting, budgeting, internal audits, treasury/cash management, investments, payroll, billing and accounts receivable, accounts payable, purchasing, reproduction and graphics, and business licenses and cashiering. Overall responsibility for management of the City’s finances rests with the Finance Director/Controller who also serves as the City Treasurer.

The Finance Department sets financial management standards and then monitors performance to ensure that these standards are met and that Council adopted budgets are adhered to. The Finance Department consists of six divisions:

• Administration
• Accounting
• Budget & Management Studies
• Business License and Tax
• Graphics & Reproduction Services (Central Printing)
• Purchasing

Administration Division

The Administration Division is responsible for managing a variety of administrative operations and services to support the Department’s objectives, including fiscal coordination and financial policy development. The division is responsible for administering departmental policies and procedures, developing and implementing programs and services to meet the Department’s business needs, and serving as liaison to other City departments, other agencies and to facilitate problem resolution.

Accounting Division

The Financial Accounting Division is responsible for timely and accurate recording and reporting of financial results to the Mayor, the Council, internal City customers, other government agencies, as well as to the general public. The Division ensures that accounting transactions are in conformity with GAAP; evaluates municipal accounting issues; determines if disbursements legally comply with the adopted budget and develops pertinent data for the preparation of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

The Division prepares specialized financial analysis for the City Council, Administration and all other Departments; produces reports for Federal/State/Local and other regulatory agencies, auditors, private sector financial entities and the citizenry; handles coordination of the accounting for Federal and/or State funded grants/projects; and administers the City’s cash management/investment functions as well as debt portfolio – treasury functions.

The Accounting Division ensures the financial integrity of the City by providing high-quality, cost-effective financial support services to its internal and external customers. In addition to financial reporting and grant coordination, the Division also processes payroll and accounts payable, services and collects housing loan payments and other amounts due the City. This division also assists in developing programs to promote more efficient use of resources, cost savings, and revenue enhancement opportunities.