Finance enhancing communication
Causey said the city entrusts the Finance Department with the administration of all its financial activities.
Understanding municipal finance is sometimes difficult for most people. That’s why the city Finance Department, headed by Director of Finance Lillie Causey, has created ways for citizens to better understand the city’s financial position.
The department has eight employees, including Causey, who are tasked with providing the city with services of accounting, grant administration, auditing, financial reporting, internal controls, operating and capital budgeting, assets management, procurement management and debt management.
“All operations for the city start with the budget,” she said. “The budget connects the flow of all activities of the city. Preparing a budget, which enables management of the city to use the financial resources of the city wisely, is one of the department’s top priorities. At the end of the budget cycle, the department is tasked with reporting how management used those financial resources. The department reports this information in the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).”
Causey said one of the actions she’s most proud of is the creation of the Annual Popular Financial Report, an “easily understandable” version of the CAFR.
“Financial information has so much jargon so she prepared could understand the financial position of the city,” Causey said.
The report is an “easy-to-read” overview of the city’s financial position, as well as a version of the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. It document summarizes everything from statement of net assets to how much the city spends to construct traffic lights.
Causey also spearheaded the creation of Doing Business with Madison, a 14-page information guide given to vendors who desire to do business in Madison. Doing Business details the mission of the city’s purchasing department and applicable city, state and federal laws concerning the purchasing process.
The department is also responsible for ensuring the procurement of goods and services for the city, as well as processing the city’s payroll. Causey said these functions are top on the department’s list of day-to-day financial activities.
“In addition to managing the financial activities, the department has the task of managing the acquisition and implementation of a new municipal management system,” she said. “The fully integrated system includes a financial management application, payroll and human resources application and a community development application.” She said with this system, she expects to eliminate 97 percent or more of the manual processes and provide better communication among departments.
“In administering the financial activities of the city, the finance department is always focused on the city’s mission ‘to improve the quality of life for EVERY Madison resident by providing responsible government, characterized by honesty, integrity, accessibility, efficiency and accountability,” Causey said.
