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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-05-03 Council Appointed Officer Agenda PacketThe City of . Palo Alto, California seeks a skilled Financial Management Executive to lead performance management, operational and financial reviews, which promote municipal efficiency, as the next. .. CITY ·AUDITOR 1rr.iIIWATERS~OLDANI . ~ EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT A Di\·i~ion of The Waters Consulting Group, Inc. THE COMMUNITY Strategically located in the mid-San Francisco Peninsula, the City of Palo Alto (population 62,000) is recog- nized as one of the nation's premiere communities and has been selected as "one of the best places to live and work in the United States" (Money Magazine 2006). Established in 1889 by early Spanish Explorers, the City was named because of a tall, old Redwood tree (El Palo Alto) which stands at the original boundary to the city. Today, Palo Alto is considered to be a highly progressive city which relishes its reputation as being "The Birthplace of Silico!l Valley", a center of education, an environmentally conscious and economically vibrant community. The residents of Palo Alto enjoy a rich cultural heritage, a safe community with tree-lined streets and historic buildings which reflect its true California beginnings. Over 6,000 businesses, employing almost 100,000 workers make Palo Alto their home, as does the Stanford Medical Center and Stanford Research Park which is home to some of the most successful and innovative technol- ogy companies in the world. Stanford University is located adjacent to the city. Stanford University enjoys an outstanding reputation and serves approximately 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Palo Alto's public education system has 9,000 students and is considered to be among the best school districts in the State. Over 95% of the students go on to experience college/univer- sity education and more than 75% of the City's residents have at least a Bachelor's degree. Within the City's 26 square miles of territory, residents and visitors can find 35 parks, almost 3,800 acres of preserved open space and numerous public facilities includ- ing three swimming pools, two ath- letic centers and three nature centers, including Baylands Nature Preserve and Foothills Park. The entertain- ment, cultural and social venues of the nearby cities of San Jose and San Francisco satisfy a wide divergence of interests. Water sports and relaxation can be found on San Francisco Bay and the beaches of nearby Santa Cruz and the northern peninsula. However, Palo Alto residents can enjoy the vibrant environment of University Avenue eating establishmen~s, spe- cialty shops and boutiques, as well as major shopping at Stanford Shopping Center and other high-end stores. Palo Alto is a "24 hour city" which is pedestrian friendly and has numer- ous coffee houses, bookstores, movie houses/theaters, and the cultural events provided by the presence of a major university. Residents and local businesses take great pride in the community and are focused on maintaining a unique environment with its special character and chann that make Palo Alto a City of choice. The citizens are politically aware, culturally sophisticated, well educated and engaged in municipal government. Palo Alto is proud of its reputation, quality of its neighbor- hoods, schools, libraries, parks, public facilities and economic opportunities. GOVERNANCE Palo Alto is a Charter City which functions under the Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of nine members who are elected at-large for four-year over- lapping terms. The Council selects a Mayor and Vice Mayor from within its ranks. Four Council Appointed Officers (CAO's) that directly report to the Council are the City Manager, City Attorney, City Auditor and City Clerk. Nine other Department Directors report to the City Manager. Palo Alto employs 1,100 full-time personnel and has a total Operating Budget of $470 million, including Enterprise Funds. The General Fund is $145 million annually. Palo Alto is a full-service municipality that owns and operates its gas, electric,' water, sewer, refuse and storm drainage ser- vices, which makes it one of the few California cities to do so. A portion of the municipal workforce is repre- sented by collective bargaining units to include safety and non-safety em- ployees. A positive climate between labor and management exists at the City of Palo Alto. The City Council's top four priorities for 2008 are: • Planning for and constructing a new Library and Public Safety buildings • Ensuring Environmental Protection • Promoting Civic Engagement • Ensuring the Economic Health of the community In support of these activities, the City Manager's Office has recently completed an analysis and report identifYing needed improvements to the physical infrastructure of Palo Alto. The report identifies a need to fund approximately $407 million in public improvements over the next ten years. The City Council, residents and municipal staff will be engaged in ongoing discussions concerning these needs and how they will be financed or funded. In addition, major expan- sion programs are pending for the ,Stanford Shopping Center, Stanford University and the Medical Center. These programs will continue to stress the resources of the City, both organi- zational and financial, requiring greater levels of strategic planning arid review by the City's administrative staff and Council Appointed Officers. POSITION PROFILE The City Auditor is appointed by and reports to the City Council and maintains strong operational and working relationships with other Council Appointed Officers (CAOs) levels of control, documentation, audit trails and security, • Advising the City Council, as re- quested on the financial impacts or policy significance of its actions, • Acting as an advisor upon requests to other City operating departments in their efforts towards identifYing and improving the conduct of their work, and • Performs other related duties and responsibilities as required. The City Auditor will be expected to work collaboratively and con- structively with other members of the Executive Management Team. The Auditor will supervise a staff of three full-time and one part-time employee and oversee an annual budget of $1.0 million including fees for external audit functions. Over the last six years, this highly productive organization has completed in excess of 108 Audit Reports and received six national awards for content and format of these reports. This recruit- ment results from the resignation of a highly regarded City Auditor, who joined a much larger municipal gov- ernment after serving in Palo Alto for almost seven years. CURRENT ISSUES The following discussion points were determined to be primary areas of focus for a new City Auditor and were derived from interviews with the Mayor and Council Members, the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, selected members of the Executive Management Team and staff of the City Auditor's Office. The topics are not considered fixed priorities; rather they are representa- tive of the types of work programs or issues that will be encountered by the City Auditor in hislher first six to 18 months of employment. Briefly sum- marized these issues are: Annual Work Plan The Audit Office is responsible for identifYing and publishing an Annual Work Plan, which thus far has been fairly ambitious in nature. The City Auditor prepares the Annual Work Plan based on a citywide risk assess- ment and with input from the City Council, the community and City statIo The new Auditor must ensure a timely preparation of the FY 2008-09 Work Plan and reaffirm the schedules and priorities with the City Council. In addition, several audit projects are in process and may be ready for re- view by the time a new City Auditor is hired. The Audit Office is also responsible for preparing the Service Efforts & Accomplishments (SEA) Annual Report. This report includes comprehensive performance measure- ment data on all City departments and includes a resident survey regarding satisfaction with City services. The Auditor will be asked to continue to place emphasis on this critical report and provide quarterly updates on the findings and follow-up actions indi- cated by the results of the various sur- vey activities. The Office of the City Auditor is due for its triennial peer review by the Association of Local Government Auditors in the Fall of 2008. The new City Auditor will need to coordinate the review and respond to the report. EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE Requirements for the position in- clude a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Management, Public Administration! Public Policy or similar disciplines. The possession of a valid Certified Public Accountant's (CPA) license/certificate; a Certified Internal Auditor's (CIA) designation issued by the Institute of Internal Auditors; or a Certified Fraud Examiner's (CFE) designation is highly desirable. A Master's degree is preferred. Candidates should have a minimum of seven to ten years of senior audit management experience gained in a complex governmental organization that utilizes advanced financial management systems and techniques. Private sector experience will be valued when accompanied by extensive knowledge of public financial management practices and requirements. A demonstrated back- ground in auditing, accounting and management analyses is required as is a working knowledge of generally accepted governmental auditing stan- dards (the Yellow Book). A strong background in compre- hensive financial analysis; the formulation of environmental and contract compliance audit reports; and the development of policies and procedures surrounding the creation of audit objectives, audit processes, findings and recommendations is needed. The position requires signifi- cant experience in local government performance auditing and financial analysis; revenue and contract com- pliance auditing; practical skill in identifying and assessing risks facing a full-service municipal government like Palo Alto; and the ability to think critically and creatively to develop audit objectives, findings and recom- mendations that best serve Palo Alto taxpayers. Other requirements include regular interface/contact with elected officials, business executives and representatives of the private sector, non-profit and community groups. Candidates must also demonstrate the maturity, communication skills and sound business judgment to make sensitive and difficult presentations while addressing various situations. A comprehensive knowledge of GAO Audit Standards and State Charter Practices promulgated by the Institute ofInternal Auditors is necessary. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The City of Palo Alto has established a starting salary range to the Mid- High $100 's, as well as a six percent contribution (of base salary) to the employee's share in the CALPERS retirement program, while the employee contributes two percent.· Additional executive benefits includ- ing a compensation package, with potential consideration for housing assistance, car allowance and deferred compensation contribution dependent on individual circumstances and ne- gotiations. The opportunity of joining a highly recognized and award win- ning municipal government and living in a premiere community, recognized for its high quality-of-life awaits the successful candidate. ApPLICATION PROCESS Qualified candidates please submit "your resume online by visiting our website at www.watersconsulting.com/recruitment This position is open until filled; however, the first review of applicants will take place on June 11, 2008. Following the first review date, resumes will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in this brochure. Candidates with relevant qualifica- tions will be given preliminary interviews with the Consultant. Final interviews in Palo Alto will be offered to th'2'se candidz.~es named zs finz.l;s~s, with reference checks conducted after receiving candi- dates' permission. The final interview process will beheld in late July 2008. For more information please contact Jerry Oldani by calling our toll free number 877.356.2924 or by visiting our website at www.watersconsulting.com The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity at all levels of its workforce! Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a criminal history/credit/driver's license check prior to the interview. Under state legislation regarding access to public records, information from your resume may be subject to public disclosure.