(a) Appointment. The Director of Finance shall be appointed by the Mayor subject to the approval of a majority of the members elected to Council.
(b) Qualifications. The Director of Finance shall have sufficient knowledge and experience in accounting, taxation, and business administration, and provide evidence of either: (1) A license as a certified public accountant, with at least three years experience in municipal government accounting or (2) a bachelor’s degree with a major in finance, accounting, or business- related field and shall have no less than six years accounting experience with at least three such years working in municipal government accounting. Any person currently serving in this position, but who may no longer meet these qualifications, shall not thereby become ineligible to serve.
(c) Removal. The Director of Finance shall hold office at the pleasure of the Mayor.
(d) General Duties. The Director of Finance shall have charge of the Department of Finance and shall administer the fiscal affairs of the City, including: the supervision and maintenance of records and accounting procedures which shall conform to the General Laws of Ohio; the compilation of estimates for the budget of all departments of the City; the exercise of financial budgetary controls over appropriations made; the custody of funds, investments, and other property of the City; the collection of fees, assessments, and tax revenues for which the City is responsible; the investment and deposit of funds as may be provided by Council; the payment of the public debt of the City; and such other duties as may be required by this Charter and/or as Council may direct by Ordinance or Resolution or the Mayor may impose upon such Director consistent with law and the duties of this office.
(e) Purchasing. The Director of Finance shall be the purchasing coordinator, until such time as a purchasing position may be established by the Council, with the following responsibilities: On the basis of requisitions submitted and approved by the Mayor or Council, he or she shall contract for, purchase on specification, store and distribute all supplies required by the Municipality; shall be responsible for the inspection of all supplies and determine their quantity, quality and conformation to specifications; and shall transfer supplies and sell obsolete or surplus equipment and property in such manner as Council by ordinance may provide.
(f) Appropriations and Reports. He shall be responsible for the preparation and sub mission of appropriation measures and shall assist the Mayor and Council in the preparation of estimates, budgets and other financial matters. He shall submit to Council through the Mayor at the second regular Council meeting of each succeeding month, a monthly statement showing:
All receipts had during the preceding month.
All disbursements made during the preceding month.
A cumulative statement for each appropriation showing:
Amount of appropriation;
Amount expended against the appropriation at the end of the receding month;
Balance remaining.
The foregoing statement shall be in such further sufficient detail as may be required by Council to show the exact financial condition of the Municipality.
(g) Collections. He shall be the collector of all moneys of the Municipality, including license fees, fines, court costs and waivers. He shall receive and preserve such moneys in such manner and in such places and forms of investment or security as the Council shall direct.
(h) Certification. No contract, agreement, or other obligation, involving the expenditure of money shall be entered into by any officer of the Municipality, nor shall any ordinance, resolution, or order for the expenditure of money be passed by Council, unless the Director of Finance first certifies to Council or to the proper officer, as the case may be, that the money required for such contract, agreement, obligation or expenditure is in the treasury, to the credit of the fund for which it is to be drawn, or in the process of collection, and not appropriated for any other purpose, which certificates shall be filed and immediately recorded. The sums so certified shall not thereafter be considered unappropriated until the Municipality is discharged from the contract, agreement or obligation.
(i) Funds Subject to Certification. All moneys actually in the treasury to the credit of the fund from which they are to be drawn, and all moneys applicable to the payment of the obligation or appropriation involved, that are anticipated to come into the treasury before the maturity of such contract, agreement or obligation, from taxes or assessments or from sales or services, productions or from any City undertakings, fees, charges, accounts and bills receivable, or other credits in the process of collection; and all moneys applicable to the payment of such obligation or appropriation, which are to be paid into the treasury prior to the maturity thereof, arising from the sale or lease of lands or other property, and the moneys to be derived from lawfully authorized notes or bonds sold and in the process of delivery shall, for the purpose of such certificate, be deemed in the treasury and subject to such certification.
(j) Failure to Comply. All contracts, agreements or other obligations and all ordinances, resolutions and orders entered into or passed contrary to the provisions of subsections (h) and (i) of this section of this Charter shall be void, and no person whosoever shall have any claim or demand against the Municipality thereunder, nor shall the Council nor any officer of the Municipality waive or qualify the limits fixed by such ordinance, resolution or order or fasten upon the Municipality any liability whatever in excess of such limits, or release any party from an exact compliance with this Charter under such ordinance, resolution or order.
(k) Attendance at Council. He shall attend all meetings of the Council unless excused by Council and he shall perform all other duties required by this Charter and by ordinance or resolution of Council.
(l) Vacancy. The persons who hold the offices of Clerk and Treasurer on the effective date of this amendment shall continue in office until the expiration of their current term and shall continue to exercise the powers, duties and functions of Clerk and Treasurer under the City Charter during such period. If the office of Clerk or Treasurer shall become vacant, for any reason, during such period, the office vacated shall be abolished upon the declaration of the vacancy by a vote of a majority of members of Council. In any event, the offices of Clerk and Treasurer shall be and are hereby abolished effective January 1, 1990.
(Amended 11-2-04)
(Amended 11-2-04)