There's a new face coming to City Hall.
The City of Humboldt announced the appointment of Steve Brown as their new Director of Finance in a press release issued on September 12.
"We are very pleased to have the experience and expertise that Mr. Brown will bring to our City Administration as Director of Finance," said Malcolm Eaton, Mayor of Humboldt. "He will take on the important task of assisting all of our city departments in their short and long term financial management and planning."
Brown has seven years of financial management experience, three at the local government level. The city believes he will brings a wealth of experience in financial operations, especially infrastructure, operating and capital budget preparation, and computerized financial management systems.
He also worked as a senior financial analyst with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, providing "financial and operational advice to many municipal stakeholders including introducing tools for budgeting which have aided in the development of multi-year budgets and long term capital plans; worked on assessment reviews; and overseen the management of human resources."
"Recent changes to the accounting procedures include capital tangible assets, major infrastructure renewal planning such as our involvement in the National Asset Management System (NAMS), the increasing complexities of property assessment and taxation systems and major land development planning," said Eaton.
"(These) are just a few of the examples of the challenges that our city's recent growth and development have brought."
The city had been considering creating the Director of Finance position for quite some time and they hope Brown will be able to help keep the finances in order in a growing community.
"Finance is an integral function within the City and I look forward to having Steve join our team and take on his new duties," said James Moller, city manager, in the news release. "Finance is not something you can do off the corner of the desk, at least if you want to do it effectively."
Eaton explained Brown will also look for ways to more effectively use city revenue.
"This includes reviewing the general accounting systems, financial analysis, purchasing and tendering policies, internal auditing, grant applications and reporting requirements, and ultimately providing the city administration and council with the best possible financial information to make the important decisions regarding our city's operations and long term fiscal plans," said Eaton.
