Finance director duties.
Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 2-416
in effectSec. 2-416. - Finance director duties.
The director of finance, acting directly or through subordinates or designees, shall exercise the powers now or hereafter conferred and discharge the duties now or hereafter imposed upon the office by the laws of the state and the ordinances and resolutions of the city. Except for those duties or powers conferred or delegated by state law or city ordinance or resolution upon some other official, officer or employee of the city, the director of finance shall have charge of the administration of the financial affairs of the city. The powers and duties of the finance director include, but are not necessarily limited to, each of the following:
(1) Department head. The director of finance shall be the department head of the finance department. As department head, the finance director shall plan, assign, and supervise the work of all personnel of his department through subordinate supervisors or directly. The finance director prepares the annual budget for his department. The finance director shall act as liaison between his office and private citizens, organizations, and businesses; city officials, officers, department heads, departments, boards, commissions and agencies; and other governmental entities and public agencies. Work is reviewed through audits, periodic reports, and program evaluations.
(2) Assistance to mayor. In matters related to his office and, more broadly, the operations of the city through its various departments, the finance director shall serve as an executive director of the city, directly assisting and advising the mayor in management of the city. He shall prepare special reports and attend special meetings as may be required by the mayor. The finance director shall assist and collaborate with the mayor in the development, implementation, and furtherance of city goals, plans, and policies.
(3) City council duties. The finance director shall be available to councilmembers to respond to requests for information or questions related to matters under the general control of the finance director which are pertinent to the performance of the councilmember's duties. In matters related to his department, the finance director shall prepare special reports and attend special meetings as may be required by the city council.
(4) City auditor duties.
a. Auditing; claims and demands; issuance of warrants. The finance director shall submit all claims, requisitions, and demands against the city to the city council at its next regular meeting for its approval, unless already provided for by ordinance or resolution, and upon its being approved by the city council and the passage of ordinances carrying it into effect when necessary, said finance director shall issue warrant on the city treasury for the amount of such claim, requisition, or demand. Before issuing any warrant, the finance director shall audit the claim, certify to its correctness, and keep a record thereof, which record shall also show to what department or departments it is chargeable.
b. Books and accounts. The finance director shall keep a convenient set of books in which there shall be kept a separate account with each collecting officer of the city. He shall keep a separate account with each department for which a separate appropriation shall have been made, crediting the amount of the appropriation and charging warrants drawn against the same. He shall keep such other accounts as may be necessary to show the financial condition of the city and of each department thereof at all times. He shall not allow the amount appropriated for any item of expense to be drawn on for any other purpose. He shall not allow any warrant to be drawn unless sufficient funds actually be in the treasury to the credit of the fund upon which such warrant is drawn unless specifically authorized by an ordinance.
c. Internal audits. With approval of the mayor, the finance director shall inspect and audit any accounts or records of financial transactions which may be maintained in any office, department or agency of the city government apart from or subsidiary to the accounts kept in his office. In addition, the finance director is responsible for managing the annual audit contract and coordinating the timely completion of the city's annual independent audit and development of an effective plan for the resolution of any internal control weaknesses or deficiencies identified in the annual audit report.
(5) Custodian of funds; warrants; records and reports, interest on warrants.
a. The finance director shall be the custodian of the funds of the city, keeping an accurate record of the funds of the several departments, and shall keep books showing accurately the financial condition of the city.
b. [Disbursement.]
1. The finance director shall pay out money only upon warrants drawn by the officers authorized by applicable law to draw warrants upon the treasury, and when paid shall keep safely the warrants so drawn. Such warrants shall be drawn by the finance director on the city treasury the warrants showing to what department the same is to be charged, and the city council may authorize the finance director to draw such warrants on the city treasury, or one of the city depositories, without the approval of the mayor; except, that in all instances the approval of the mayor shall have first been inscribed upon the voucher for the payment of which such warrant is drawn. No warrant shall be drawn except by authority of law or ordinance.
2. Notwithstanding any provision of this Code to the contrary, whenever the payment of city funds is required or authorized by warrant drawn upon the city treasury approved, or the invoice thereof approved, by the mayor, such payment instead may, where authorized by law, be made by electronic funds transfer or by a check drawn upon the appropriate city depository, which check shall be signed by the mayor and countersigned by the finance director.
3. All authorized payments made by electronic funds transfers shall be under the supervision and control of the finance director and such payments shall be coordinated and submitted through the finance department and in accordance with all applicable laws. The finance director is responsible to ensure that such payments are initiated, executed, and approved in a secure manner, and in accordance with all applicable laws, and may establish policies and procedures relative thereto.
c. No expenditure shall be allowed unless the same shall have been duly authorized in accordance with the financial policies of the city.
d. The finance director shall keep a record of all warrants presented for payment which are unpaid for want of funds and shall pay them when funds are available in the order of their presentation.
e. The finance director shall make report as required by state law and the city council of the financial condition of the account of each department authorized to draw on the city treasury and shall make a quarterly statement, under oath, of the financial condition of the city to the city council.
f. If no interest is stipulated to be paid on warrants drawn upon the city treasury and not paid for want of funds, then the legal rate shall be allowed from the time of presentation, which time shall be endorsed by the finance director on the warrant with his signature, but no interest shall be paid on such warrants after notice has been posted in the office of the finance director or in the office of the mayor that such warrants will be paid on demand.
(6) Tax administration; licenses. The finance director shall oversee the administration and enforcement, including auditing, assessment, and collection, of the city's tax laws in accordance with applicable state and city laws, including chapter 15 of this Code. The finance director shall issue city business licenses and shall have general supervision and control over the city's licensing division, which includes the administration and enforcement of business licenses and related regulatory matters associated therewith, including alcoholic beverage licensure, bingo operations, vehicles for hire, and residential solicitation.
(7) Collection of monies. The finance director shall collect all special assessments, license fees and other revenues of the city for whose collection the city is responsible and receive all money receivable by the city from the county, state, or federal government, or from any court, or from any office, department or agency of the city.
(8) Financial policies and programs. The finance director shall, in accordance with and pursuant to applicable law, including chapter 2, article IV of this Code, administer the financial policies and programs of the city including, but not necessarily limited to, the investment of city funds, budgeting and financial management, debt management, and procurement and contract administration.
(9) Debt. Unless otherwise provided for by applicable law, the finance director shall have supervision over the preparation of all materials involved with the issuance of warrants, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness (hereinafter referred to in this division as "debt"), including without limitation resolutions, ordinances, debt instruments, requests for proposals by financial institutions for loans to be evidenced by debt instruments, advertisements for sale of debt, amortization schedules for debt, preparation of debt prospectuses, conduct of sale of debt, and delivery of debt instruments, compliance with federal tax regulations as respects debt the interest on which is exempt from federal income taxation, and all similar matters, all subject to provisions of law and municipal ordinances, applicable thereto.
(10) Payroll. The finance director shall prepare and execute the city's payroll and related processes.
(11) Financial accounting, reporting and record-keeping. Except for those duties conferred on or delegated or assigned to other city officers or employees by applicable law, the finance director shall perform, or oversee and supervise the performance of, the financial accounting, reporting, and record-keeping activities of the city, including, but not necessarily limited to, the day-to-day management of accounts payable and general ledger activities; and the timely and accurate preparation of all monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, schedules, and reports, including the annual comprehensive financial report.
(12) Inventory and tracking of city property; listing evaluation of property. The finance director shall prepare and keep on file an up-to-date inventory of, and shall track, all the capital assets of the city. In securing such inventory and tracking, the director of finance shall have the right to call upon any officer, agent, or employee of the city for any desired information at the discretion of the mayor. The inventory shall also show the approximate value of each asset.
(13) Grant management. Unless expressly delegated or assigned to other city officers or employees, the finance director is responsible for the oversight and administration of grant-related financial activity for the city, including proper budgeting and accounting for grants, tracking and reporting of grant activity, reviewing of financial reports generated by recipient departments, identifying and investigating issues that might arise with respect to the management of grants, assisting with grant submittals, establishing financial policies and procedure for grant management, and meeting the requirements under federal law of non-federal entities expending federal awards (single audit).
(14) Moneys to be paid over. The finance director shall receive from the officers, employees, and agents of the city all money belonging to the city received or collected by them. The finance director shall deposit all money so received in authorized depositories.
(15) Public depository; liability for loss. The city council hereby directs that those qualified public depositories, defined and designated as such pursuant to the Code of Ala. 1975, tit. 41, ch. 14A, are depositories where the finance director shall deposit public money, with interest being paid thereon and security given therefor by the depository. As to deposits made under the authority of an ordinance of the council, neither the finance director nor his bondsmen if the finance director has exercised due care shall be further liable for any loss occasioned thereby.
(16) Additional duties. The finance director, in addition to the enumerated duties, shall perform related work as required, and shall perform any and all duties that may be required of him by ordinance or resolution. The position classification specification developed and implemented through the department of human resources may provide for such marginal duties as may be required for the position consistent with the duties set forth herein.
(Ord. No. 23-155, § 8, 3-9-2023; Ord. No. 25-388, § 19, 5-22-2025)
* Ord. No. 26-832, § 7 (adopted 9-24-2026; published 9-30-2026) prints "Secs. 2-348—2-452. Reserved.", a range that includes this section, which is in another division. The range is read as a misprint for 2-352, and this section is shown in effect.
Source: City of Huntsville, Alabama, publisher code (Municode) + enacted ordinances (City Council/Legistar)URL: https://library.municode.com/al/huntsville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH2AD_ARTVIIDEDEHEOTAPOF_DIV5FIDE_S2-416FIDIDUFetched: 11/6/2026