Team

The Finance department is comprised of 27 highly skilled staff who provide professional advice, analysis, expertise, processing and management of resources essential to the successful operation of the municipality:

• Director – Brandon Ferguson
• Financial Reporting, Processing and Budgeting – Finance Managers and Coordinators, Accounting Analysts,
  Asset Specialist, Water Billing Clerks (13)
• Property Taxation & Revenue – Manager, Coordinator, Analysts, Customer Service Representatives (8)
• Corporate Procurement – Supervisor, Assistant (2)
• Payroll – Supervisor, Clerks (3)

Responsibilities

The Finance department provides financial leadership, stewardship, planning, guidance and reporting to internal and external stakeholders to ensure financial sustainability for the Municipality.

The department provides operational services relating to budgeting, financial reporting and planning, revenue billing and collection, corporate payment processing and procurement, payroll processing, banking, investing, grant administration and corporate asset management.

In addition to these services the finance department takes a key role in the overall corporate business process development, financial systems design and control, strategic decision-making process, corporate oversight and reporting activities.

The department promotes fiscal responsibility and accountability across the organization, and partners with departments as a support service to ensure a high level of service is delivered to both internal and external stakeholders.

• Internal stakeholders: Council, City departmental staff
• External stakeholders: Federal and Provincial Government, boards, ratepayers,
  financial institutions

Governance

Municipal guiding documents and plans that govern the work of the Finance department:

• Municipal Act (Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25) – Governs the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Municipality.
• Financial Information Return (Financial Information Return 2022) – Provides the framework for financial reporting to the Ministry of Municipal
  Affairs.
• Asset Management Plan (City of Belleville Asset Management Plan) – Utilized to effectively manage and derive value from existing and new
  assets to deliver services at expected levels to the community.
• Operating Budgets (City of Belleville Budgets) – The operating budget encompasses the City’s normal operating expenses and revenues
  associated with the day-to-day provision of services.
• Capital Budgets (City of Belleville Budgets) – The capital budget plans for the acquisition and replacement of Municipal Assets. The City’s
  capital budget is guided by its Asset Management Plan.

Trends

Legislative/Governance

• Asset Management Planning for Municipalities (O. Reg 588/17) provides requirements, framework and deadlines to complete Asset
  Management Plans. The municipality is diligently working towards Legislative deadlines and will continue to improve and realize value from
  the implementation of improved asset management strategies and planning.
• Legislation from the provincial government, including Bill 109 More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022; Bill 3, Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act,
  2022; Bill 23 More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022; and Bill 39 Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022.
• Public Sector Accounting Board requirements regarding Asset Retirement Obligations and Financial Instruments.

Economic

• Housing market and affordability, causing increasing pressures on household incomes and affecting ability to afford municipal services and
  taxes.
• Inflationary impacts, including interest rates, affect municipal service delivery and the community’s ability to afford municipal services
• Viability and financial sustainability of community groups.
• Limited memberships, resources and competition for funding affect sustainability of organizations and potential reliance / requests for
  additional funding from the municipality.

Municipal Budget

• Budgetary community engagement and feedback is an increasing and evolving municipal trend.
• The department has increased the budgetary engagement process during 2023 and will continue to enhance community engagement
  initiatives, municipal budget material development and communication mediums into 2024 and beyond.

Technology

• Many opportunities for Information Technology advancement and new technology deployment to enhance internal efficiencies and external
  engagement and efficiency in service delivery.