Item 6.4 Approve Assistant Finance Director Job Description and Authorize Recruitment
Request for
City Council Action
DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT REQUESTOR: MEETING DATE:
Administration City Administrator/Finance Director Flaherty September 28, 2026
PRESENTER(s) REVIEWED BY: ITEM #:
Consent Assistant City Administrator/Human Resources Hille 6.4 – Job Description
STRATEGIC VISION
MEETS: THE CITY OF OTSEGO:
X Is a strong organization that is committed to leading the community through innovative communication.
Has proactively expanded infrastructure to responsibly provide core services.
Is committed to delivery of quality emergency service responsive to community needs and expectations in a
cost-effective manner.
Is a social community with diverse housing, service options, and employment opportunities.
Is a distinctive, connected community known for its beauty and natural surroundings.
AGENDA ITEM DETAILS
RECOMMENDATION:
City staff recommend the City Council approve of a job description.
ARE YOU SEEKING APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT? IS A PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED?
No No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
The City’s dependance on and importance of the Finance department has continued to evolve as the City has grown.
Over the past few years alone, the City continues to invest in public infrastructure across all operational departments
including general government, public safety, public works, parks and recreation, and public utility functions.
The City has been successful in securing numerous grant opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels which
inherently create additional reporting requirements. Additionally, the City has issued numerous debt financing
packages for capital projects, many times with grant funding, debt financing, and local matching requirements
overlapping.
These factors, along with continued advancement of governmental financial reporting requirements, necessitate the
need for the skills, knowledge, and time resources of finance professionals to oversee the financial health of the City.
As these responsibilities continue to evolve, it creates an environment where additional personnel are necessary.
Specifically in Otsego, the Chief Financial Officer also serves as the Chief Executive Officer, which creates a significant
dependance on one person. By adding to the Finance department staff, there would be added capacity within the
department to provide redundancy, additional segregation of duties for internal control purposes, and to provide
additional supervisory level oversight. Lastly in alignment with draft City Council goals to increase and improve
financial information to the public in an understandable and more easily digestible format, additional staff would
provide the opportunity to improve upon these functions.
This addition of a supervisory position that possesses the knowledge, skills, and experience to elevate the City’s
Finance department and to increase support for additional information and support to the elected officials, City staff,
and the community.
This position is currently included within the 2027 General Fund Budget pending final City Council adoption, with an
anticipated start date for the position in March 2027. City staff are requesting to advance the recruitment period
immediately to onboard the additional finance department resources to address upcoming employee leave periods
beginning in November 2026.
The position was scored at Grade 13, with additional staff research of similar positions in other comparable
communities aligning the market for this position.
The Administrative Subcommittee was presented this information at their September 8, 2026, meeting and had no
requested changes.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
• Job Description – Assistant Finance Director (DRAFT)
POSSIBLE MOTION
PLEASE WORD MOTION AS YOU WOULD LIKE IT TO APPEAR IN THE MINUTES:
Motion to approve the Assistant Finance Director Job Description and to authorize the recruitment process.
BUDGET INFORMATION
FUNDING: BUDGETED:
General Fund – Finance Department (41600)
Yes (2027)
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Position Description
Position: Assistant Finance Director
Department: Finance
Position Status: Full-time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Pay Grade: TBD
Approved: Draft
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
General Statement of Duties: Manages the daily operations of the Finance Department including serving
as the Assistant Chief Financial Officer of the City. Responsible for performing essential accounting
functions, including, but not limited to: bank reconciliations, cash and investment management, budget
development and monitoring, financial reporting, risk management and additional duties as assigned by
the Finance Director.
Immediate Supervisor: City Administrator/Finance Director
Supervises: Accountant, Accounting Clerk and Utility Billing
Provides Work Direction to: None
MAJOR JOB FUNCTIONS
1. Bank Reconciliations, Cash and Investment Management
a. Identification of electronic receipts and disbursements within the City’s bank accounts
and preparation of the appropriate recording of such activity within the accounting
software
b. Reconciles cash and investment accounts monthly and prepare reconciliation reports for
review by the Finance Director
c. Monitors daily cash balances to ensure sufficient cash is available to pay claims and
recommend transfer of funds when needed
d. Forecasts cash and investment balances up to five years to ensure sufficient liquidity
and cash flows for future capital projects and debt service
e. Invest funds in excess of liquidity needs in accordance with the Investment Policy
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2. Budget Development & Monitoring
a. Posts, maintains, and reconciles general ledgers for all City funds and prepare
appropriate journal entries to ensure the financial records of the City are reconciled on
a monthly basis
b. Monitors actual financial activity with budgets adopted by the City Council and provide
analysis and recommendations to the Finance Director to ensure budget compliance
c. Maintains documentation for tracking of costs associated with capital projects and
equipment purchases and compares reports for comparison with their budgets
d. Assists the Finance Director as assigned with preparation of operational and capital
budgets
e. Prepares annual summary budget reports to be easily readable and understandable to
the general public
3. Financial Reporting
a. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)
i. Manages the annual audit process including preparation of workpapers
supporting the financial statement balances, footnotes, and statistical tables
ii. Prepares the ACFR for review by the Finance Director
iii. Prepares annual summary financial reports to be easily readable and
understandable to the general public
b. Routine Internal City Reports
i. Prepares monthly summary financial reports of fund cash balances and budget-
to-actuals for review by the Finance Director
ii. Preparation of quarterly investment reports for review by the Finance Director
c. Grant and Funding Source Reporting
i. Assists the Finance Director as assigned with preparation of reporting
documentation necessary related to grant or other funding sources
d. State Reporting
i. Assists the Finance Director as assigned with preparation of reporting
documentation necessary for the State Auditors Office, Newspaper Publications,
Minnesota Department of Revenue, Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry,
Etc.
4. Policy and Procedure Development
a. Review and recommend departmental operations to improve efficiency and work flow
b. Establish and oversee policies, procedures and practices for the department
c. Monitor operations to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, rules and
ordinances
d. Develop and implement internal control policies and procedures
5. Risk Management
a. Prepares supporting documentation for renewal of municipal insurance coverage for
workers compensation, liability, and property
b. Submits supporting documentation for claims and is the primary contact with the
insurance broker and insurance provider
6. Supervision
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a. Perform annual performance review for all department staff
b. Ensure staff is adequately trained and department is cross trained
c. Administer discipline in accordance with City policies and procedures
d. Recommend pay adjustments to Human Resources for department staff in accordance
with City policies and procedures
e. Ensure staff attends safety training and follows safety procedures
f. Assign work and ensure that it is done professionally, efficiently, accurately, and timely
g. Interview and recommend staff hiring with assistance of human resources staff
7. Other Duties
a. Serve as the primary backup for the Accountant position
b. Assist Human Resources with payroll related duties as assigned or apparent
c. Assist the Finance Director with other duties as assigned or apparent
d. Assist with the maintenance, storage and retrieval of City documents
e. Attend City Council and Subcommittee meetings as requested
f. Prepare and present information to the City Council, Subcommittees, Advisory
Commissions, and other community organizations as requested
g. Provides strong communication and teamwork with other departments
8. General
a. Treat fellow employees with respect and integrity
b. Promote a positive and motivating environment
c. Provide exceptional customer service
d. Confer with supervisor, peers, and employees to discuss and resolve issues
e. Make decisions that are always in the best interest of the City
f. Perform other duties and projects as assigned
g. Follow all safety policies and procedures
h. Follow all City policies and procedures
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• Demonstrable knowledge of and experience in applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP) as defined by GASB
• Knowledge of and experience in governmental accounting policies, procedures and practices as
defined by the GFOA
• Knowledge of and experience in laws, practices, and regulations applicable to City government
finances
• Knowledge of and experience in City operations, ordinances, and practices related to finance and
budgeting, economic development, and city management
• Working knowledge of accounting practices and procedures
• Working knowledge of current suite of Microsoft Office
• Ability to handle detail and accurately process transactions and solve problems
• Ability to research and comprehend City policies, City ordinances, and State Statutes
• Ability to communicate clearly, professionally, effectively, and precisely both verbally and in writing
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize your work
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Strong sense of honesty, integrity, and credibility
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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance
2. Three (3) years of experience in a governmental accounting or finance related position
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
1. Certified Public Accountant licensure
2. Certified Public Finance Officer licensure
3. Previous experience in a supervisory position
4. Previous experience with Caselle (Civic Systems)
5. Previous experience with governmental economic development or city/county management
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to
perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable
individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Most work is in a normal office environment. Limited lifting of 10 pounds or less is required intermittently.
Activities that occur constantly (5–8 hours/shift): sitting
Activities that occur frequently (2–5 hours/shift): talking, hearing
Activities that occur occasionally (up to 2 hours/shift): standing, walking
Activities that occur rarely (do not exist as regular part of job): lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling,
climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, handling, grasping, feeling,
repetitive motions, eye/hand/foot coordination
City of Otsego is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act,
reasonable accommodations are offered to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current
employees are encouraged to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
Employee signature below constitutes employee’s understanding of the requirements, essential
functions, and duties of the position.
_______________________________________________
Employee Name
_______________________________________________ ______________________
Employee Signature Date