Finance

The Bureau of Accounts is responsible for disbursing all City funds and maintaining records pertaining thereto, maintains and supervises the appropriation accounting and reporting systems, and provides the Mayor, Common Council, Budget Director and departments with accounting needs and other information pertaining to their financial affairs. The Bureau is also manages the City's treasury function, whereby it sells, when authorized, bonds, notes or other evidence of indebtedness of the City as well as manages the cash, liquidity and investments of the City. 

The Bureau of Accounts is responsible for all City-wide procurement, purchasing and payments. Staff acts as a central bureau and resource center for purchase requisitions and vouchers from all City departments. The staff is responsible for analyzing these requisitions and makes final approval prior to transmitting this information into the City's PeopleSoft financial system. Bureau staff is responsible for ensuring all products and services sought by City departments are procured legally, efficiently and for the best cost, following Federal, State and Local fiscal guidelines.

The Bureau also oversees the internal financial controls of the City ensuring the security of the assets of the City and ensuring the finances are reported in accordance with Government Accounting Standards.

The City Payment Center directly collects payments for all City, School and County property taxes, water bills, business license fees, parking ticket fines and fees, boot fees, and adjudication fees.  The City Payment Center also manages invoicing, collection and tracks revenues earned by other departments (codes violations, PILOTs, shelter payments, reimbursements and other billings); receives any funds collected by all other City departments, as well as other money legally due to or receivable by the City or any of its officers, departments, boards or commissions; and deposits daily all money collected into depository banks to the credit of proper funds.

The City Payment Center prepares tax bills for all real property taxes, charges and local assessments, and is responsible for servicing over 42,000 tax payer accounts.  The City Payment Center enforces the collection of delinquent property taxes and the selling of tax delinquent properties.  It also maintains an inventory of real property in which the City has any right, title or interest and, when authorized by the Council leases or sells City-owned property required for municipal purposes.

The City Payment Center collects all monies related to parking tickets, receives and reconciles monies collected by booting scofflaws, and third party collections.

The City Payment Center produces and mails water bills weekly and services over 39,000 water accounts.

The Bureau of Financial Operations oversees the centralized finance activities of the City's operating departments, including administration of payroll, oversight of the City's capital projects and grants, management of the financial software systems, and general department financial oversight. It prepares all payroll and local pension rolls, issues all payroll and pension checks, submits monthly earning reports to the Retirement System, completes various requests for retirement certifications, and maintains all payroll deduction accounts.

City of Syracuse
Department of Finance

VISION
To be an employee focused, best-in-class finance team that allows the City
to focus on operations and exceed
community expectations.

MISSION
To produce and provide reliable
financial information to our
constituents, coworkers, and the
Administration through efficient
management and expertise.

CORE VALUES
Integrity
Accuracy
Competency
Reliability
Transparency
Efficiency
Consistency
Financial Security
Empathy and Compassion
Collaboration