Accounting Division

Responsibilities

The City of Jacksonville Accounting Division is responsible for accounts payable, payroll, general ledger and debt management, capital assets, insurance, investments, and surplus property management. The division is also responsible for budget analysis, grants management and sureties, financial reporting, and contracts administration.

Accounts Payable

Accounts payable processes invoices and issues payments to vendors for goods and services provided to the city and ensures that all departments comply with federal law, state statute, and City policies regarding the purchase of those goods and services. Staff also processes travel / training requests, manage the Visa Procurement Card program, and manage the City's partnership with BidNet.

Payroll

City employees are paid on a biweekly schedule. The pay period is divided into two distinct weeks, each beginning on Saturday and ending the following Friday. The payroll specialist processes payroll for 553 full-time employees, 6 permanent part-time employees, and several seasonal employees.

Debt Management

The City may borrow money to finance large capital projects that, due to their long-term nature or because of budget constraints, cannot be funded from current or budgeted resources. Additionally, installment purchase financing may be used for equipment items (computers, vehicles, etc.) that are included in departmental budget requests. By borrowing money, the City can take advantage of low interest rates to gain more purchasing power.

Cash Handling & Investments

The Accounting Division is responsible for managing the cash assets of the City. This involves maintaining bank accounts and monitoring transactions, investing idle funds in interest bearing securities, and ensuring adequate cash flow to fund daily operations.

Capital Assets

The Accounting Division maintains records of the city's capital assets which include land, buildings, equipment, and infrastructure assets like water and sewer lines, streets, etc.

Grants Management

The City receives several grants each year, both recurring and one-time awards, from federal, state, and private sources. The grant administrator is responsible for managing the grants which includes tracking expenditures, ensuring adherence to grant guidelines, and submitting required financial reports to the grantor.

Public Auction

In July 2004, the city began using an online auction service through GovDeals. This internet-based auction allows the city to sell surplus property throughout the year, as well as maximize taxpayer dollars by getting the most money for the items. The financial analyst in charge of capital assets obtains lists of surplus items from each department, produces the Resolution for Council to declare the property surplus, and posts the items for sale on the GovDeals site.

Financial Reporting

The financial reporting analyst is responsible for compiling all input and producing the annual budget document and CAFR reports, performing internal process audits, and coordinating performance measure reporting.

Contracts Administration

The contracts administrator reviews all city contracts to ensure that all procedures are followed and requirements met prior to signing.

Budget Analysis

The budget analyst assists the departments in tracking their budgets and prepares legislative budget amendments as required. In addition to providing budget analysis information to management, the analyst also assists in annually updating the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).