Roles & Responsibilities
In Indiana, all Clerk-Treasurers are elected for a four-year term of office.
The Clerk-Treasurer is the keeper of the municipality's official public records and is the Chief Financial Officer in the City of Rochester. Specific duties are defined by the Indiana Code and Municipal Code of Ordinances. No other elected municipal duties are as specifically defined by law as the duties of the Clerk-Treasurer.
The Clerk-Treasurer has broad powers to hire and supervise employees and oversee the operation of the municipal budgets, including utilities. The ranking status of the Clerk-Treasurer is on equal level with the City Common Council and Mayor. The only area in which the Clerk-Treasurer does not have complete authority is setting wages and final approval of budgets. The office of the Clerk-Treasurer has evolved dramatically from a bookkeeper and secretary to that of a Chief Financial Officer/Controller combined with Business Manager, Operations Officer, Compliance Officer, People Officer, and Communications Officer whose responsibilities impact not only the financial well-being of local government, but operational well-being and compliance.
Listed below are some, not all, of the roles and responsibilities of the Clerk-Treasurer’s Office
Administrative Duties
- Serves as the Human Resource Director overseeing all HR related tasks and reporting for local, state, and federal regulations and filings
- Establishes and maintains personnel files for City employees and others and establishes and maintains other employment-related records including employee benefits and pensions
- Responsible for administering, maintaining, and filing all state and federal required reports
- Serves as Clerk for Common Council and Board of Public Works and Safety meetings and any other executive meetings.
- Responsible for maintaining records of Council and Board proceedings, as well as, all ordinances, resolutions and directives created
- Serves as the financial secretary to the City Redevelopment Commission as defined by state statute
- Establishes, with Common Council approval, the internal controls procedures for all city employees, administrators, and boards as defined by state statute
- Researches local, state, and federal record files, statutes, administrative rules, ordinances, policies, etc. as dictated by the needs of the City
- Acts as custodian of the public records of the City
- Administers public records requests
- Maintains custody of and is responsible for all oaths, bonds, records, files, papers and property required to be deposited with the office
- Responsible for the disposal of obsolete records as authorized by state statutes
- Oversees the Information Technology for the City and as approved by City Common Council any staff for this department
- Works with all Department Heads and the Mayor’s office to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws and statutes, as well as, ensuring financial and policy integrity of City funds and records are followed
- Attends various training sessions, meetings and seminars as necessary or required to effectively perform the duties of the office
- Responsible for administering, maintaining, reporting, and ensuring compliance with all city acquired grants from local, state, and federal awards
- The office serves as both the ADA Coordinator and Title VI Coordinator
- Business Manager for the utility office overseeing all staffing, billing, collections, and customer relations
- Lake Manitou Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan Coordinator
- Responsible for facilitating state audits and providing records as requested by examiners
- Other duties as necessary to establish an effective and efficient operation of public office
Financial Duties
- Responsible for all accounts payables and receivables for the City
- Examines and validates each claim document and verifies the appropriate budget appropriation
- Issues the order to pay each bill and disburses checks after approval of expenditures by the Board of Public Works and Safety
- Processes payroll and any applicable benefits
- Preparation of annual budget all documents in compliance with Indiana Statute
- Certifies the levy to the Department of Local Government and Finance upon approval from the Common Council
- Administers the City’s general ledger system for all funds including utilities
- Appropriates tax revenues collected by the City to the various funds as required by law
- Responsible for the billing and collection of fees for City utilities and oversight of the billing office and staff
- Responsible for the administration of any investments, bonds, or other financial commitments for the City.
- Responsible for all local, state, and federal tax filings as applicable
Notices
- Publishes and/or posts ordinances and resolutions as required by Indiana statutes
- Publishes bids, RFP's, job openings and other city business notices as required or requested
- Provides all appropriate notices as required by Indiana statute and City regulations
- Provides the media with press releases as necessary