JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Accounting Manager
Department: Finance
Supervisor’s Title:
City Manager
Date of Revision: 03/2006
Job Summary
Under general direction of the city manager, the accounting manager maintains and modifies the
general accounting system, preparing periodic financial reports and reviewing the work of other
employees who process financial transactions.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
 Designs, reviews and modifies the accounting system covering 8 or more funds for City
government. Ensures the accuracy of data and adherence of the system to Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles.
 Reviews and audits departmental accounting data, identifies and corrects errors, identifies
and computes accruals, applies accounting principles to transactions and recommends
revisions in departmental accounting procedures to ensure conformance with applicable
statutes, laws, City policies and accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States.
 Designs and enforces internal control systems for all departments to ensure the safeguarding
of City assets.
 Performs month-end closing procedures including posting all journal entries and preparing
monthly financial reports.
 Performs all June 30 fiscal year-end closing procedures including calculating and posting
accruals, and reviewing the work of other departments to ensure accurate year-end cutoff
procedures are followed.
 Coordinates the annual independent audit including preparing all supporting schedules and
documents required for the independent audit.
 Prepares the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the preparation of Management’s
Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) and supporting statistical schedules.
 Performs all treasury functions for the City, including maintaining all investment accounts
and making recommendations on investments to the city manager.
 Balances cash periodically and makes transfers for accounts payable, payroll, and electronic
drafts. Reconciles monthly bank statements.
 Maintains the fixed asset inventory system by recording all additions, transfers, and
retirements in the inventory, maintaining pertinent records and ensuring adequate treatment
of fixed asset acquisitions and retirements within the scope of City policy.
 Files reports necessary to comply with State and Federal regulations including monthly sales
tax reporting, quarterly payroll tax and wage reports, and annual W-2 and 1099 reporting.
 Balances payroll withholding accounts monthly and prepares monthly insurance bills for
payment.
Other Duties and Requirements – The accounting manager will be a highly visible position,
working with other departments on a variety of cross-functional issues.
 Performs special accounting studies such as preparing cost allocation plans and calculating
cost-benefit analyses.
 Assists the Finance Director in preparing the annual budget.
 Assists departments in creating, evaluating, and maintaining an on-going capital
improvement program.
 Assists in the preparation of grant applications and monitors grant program revenues and
expenditures for adherence to contract guidelines.
 Assists the Finance Department as needed with customer service issues, cash receipts and
deposits, accounts payable, and payroll.
 Makes recommendations on a variety of software issues relating to financial transactions
including utility billing, inventory, and work order systems.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty
satisfactorily. A Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance is required, or a Bachelor’s
Degree in another closely related field with adequate experience in governmental accounting.