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Mission Statement - To provide high quality advice, services, information, policy and leadership in support of financial stewardship for the benefit of HRM citizens and stakeholders.
The Finance business unit is where the corporate financial management responsibility resides within Halifax Regional Municipality. With its respected and supported staff, Finance provides direct services and advice to internal clients, Council and the taxpayer, ensuring their ability to undertake financial transactions in a timely, effective and efficient manner.
Currently, Finance divisons include Accounting, Procurement, Payroll, Revenue, Budget & Financial Analysis, Fiscal & Tax Policy, Corporate Reporting and Fiscal Policy. Over 194 Finance staff operate from various locations within HRM including Duke Tower, Turner Drive, MacIntosh Street, West End Mall, Alderney Gate, Metro Transit and from the offices of many other business units.
Financial Services
Senior Manager, Catherine Sanderson, CMA
Financial Services consists of four sections - Revenue Operations; Accounting Operations; Procurement & Stores Operations and Payroll Operations
Revenue Operations: Manager Jerry Blackwood
Collecting data, preparing billings, communicating with customers and
taxpayers, and collecting all revenues for the Municipality.
Receiving all payments made to the Municipality and related receipting and
accounting functions to customers and Business units.
Coordinating, calculating and recommending area rate requests including
attending Ratepayer Association meetings when requested.
Assisting business units with the processing and collection of revenue.
Registration, communication, collection and administration of the Animal
Registration and False Alarm By-laws.
Monitoring the assessment appeal process and any resulting tax adjustments
resulting therefrom.
Supporting requests from other business units respecting the levying of
local improvement frontage rates, responding to customer and taxpayer
inquiries, collecting and follow-up regarding overdue accounts.
Administering the tax sale process.
Enforcement of parking meter and zoned parking regulations within HRM.
Recording and collection of development fees and charges.
Recommending revenue development and collection policy to Council.
Accounting Operations:
Manager Louis de Montbrun CA
A/P Payment Processing - processes a high volume of invoices and is required to verify PO’s; and performs and distributes high volume cheque runs.
Financial Reporting - responsible for ensuring HRM complies with industry and legislative financial reporting requirements for Operating, Capital, Trust Funds and Reserves; and responsible for HST, tax credits, Provincial and Federal Fuel tax returns and CCRA.
Accounting Processing -works closely with external auditors and Audit Committee; responsible for monthly, annual and year-end financial statements, long-term debt schedules and distribution of debt funding, bank reconciliation, bank deposit verification, and bank deposits and expenditures through Trust Funds, Reserves and Capital accounts.
Service Delivery - responsible to assist business units with budget, projections, and revenue/expenditure review; and focuses on excellence in service delivery.
Procurement & Stores Operations:
Manager Anne Fiest
Procurement services include purchasing, inventory and assets, coordination of contracting for materials, services and supplies for HRM, contract management and technical support, supply chain management, i.e. creation of supply contracts for routine purchases, coordinate inventory section and track delivery of specific items, creation and maintenance of a Small Purchase system with Accounting division, business community relations, policy monitoring of the procurement process to ensure open, fair and consistent treatment exists, warehousing and inventory management (three warehouses and five salt sheds), maintain a warehouse of surplus materials from user departments for disposal, supply fuel to support operations of HRM at eight fuelling stations, and maintain the PCB storage area and disposes of hazardous materials.
Payroll Operations:
Manager Kevin Hislop
Payroll Operations is a newly formed division in Financial Services. It has been formed as a result of the realignment of Pay/Costing Systems, Business Planning and Information Systems and payroll related functions from within Total Compensation in Human Resources; with a primary purpose to gain operational efficiencies, improve internal controls and improve customer service. We ensure appropriate processes and procedures are in place to safeguard HRM's financial assets and minimize the financial risk related to payroll.
With a strong customer focus, we are responsible to provide all payroll related functions to HRM employees, Business Units and Boards and Commissions. Some of the services we provide our clients include time and attendance tracking, payroll/benefits administration, bi-weekly payroll production, year end T4 production, labour and equipment costing, delivery of effective training programs for all SAP/HR users and provide Policy/Collective agreement interpretation and monitoring as related to payroll issues.
Corporate Reporting and Financial Policy
Manager, Pamela Caswill, CA
The Corporate Reporting & Financial Policy division researches, analyses and recommends Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to be used by HRM and its related organizations, and provides expert accounting and financial reporting advice, including the accounting and reporting related to Disaster Financial Assistance. In conjunction with the Treasurer, the Investment Team guides the long and short-term investment policy of the Municipality, and provides leadership and control to the overall process of monitoring and reporting funds collected, invested and expended. Specific outcomes include:
Assists the Accounting division of Financial Services in the preparation of annual consolidated financial statements.
Analysis of financial information, including measuring corporate performance against corporate financial goals, benchmarks and historical data.
Ensures all by-laws, legislation, Acts, regulations and professional standards are adhered to in the delivery of financial reports.
Ensures accounting and reporting systems are in place for Disaster Financial reporting, along with ensuring processes are in place to prepare and submit financial assistance claims.
Reviews, monitors and reports on funds collected and expended to ensure they are in accordance with approved policies, and recommends improvements to same as web-based reporting and e-banking are reviewed and implemented for HRM and its related agencies.
Members of the Investment Team from this division act as the CAO's designate on the Halifax Regional Pension Plan Committee which includes monitoring and advising on the asset administration and overall financial position of the Plan, in addition to preparing reports to Council as required.
Fiscal and Tax Policy
Manager, Bruce Fisher, CMA, MPA
The Fiscal and Tax Policy division facilitates and coordinates financial, economic and business planning to assist in achieving Council's Business Strategies and the goals of the Multi-Year Financial Strategy, and to support the Corporate Scorecard Themes, Goals and Objectives.
Specific outcomes include:
Business Plan Management - Coordination/Implementation of Business planning, Program Service Review, Performance Measurement and support of the Corporate Scorecard.
Projections - Financial & Economic, Demographic, MISER (Model For Integrating Service & Expenditure Rationalization) and others.
Fiscal and Economic Policy Formulation - Tax and Fiscal Policy including long-term projections and strategies.
Economic Growth Initiatives
Grants and Tax Assistance
Budget & Financial Analysis
Manager, Paul Fleming- B. Comm, MBA, CHRP
The Budget and Financial Analysis division manages and oversees the budgeting process and the strategic financial analysis requirements for HRM business units and issues.
Specific outcomes include:
Budget Management - Coordination and overall responsibility for the preparation of Operating, Capital and Reserve Budgets.
Financial Support - provision of financial support to ensure technical compliance and accountability for all HRM business areas and projects.
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