Overview

• Accounting Services
  • Controller’s Office
    • Financial Reporting
    • General Ledger
  • Disbursements
    • Accounts Payable
    • Payroll
    • Time and Attendance
• Compliance and Resolution
• Financial Operations
• Financial Services
  • Financial Management
  • Revenue
• Print and Mail Operations
• Public Utilities
• Purchasing

Accounting Services

The Accounting Services Group is responsible for the development, maintenance, and administration of the City’s accounting system, preparation of the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and other periodic financial reports as well as the implementation and maintenance of accounting controls over the City’s financial resources. Other Accounting Services functions include: time and attendance; payroll; accounts payable; general ledger; grants; capital projects; fixed assets; financial reporting; accounts receivable; self-insurance; and fiscal administration. The Group also ensures compliance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and applicable federal, state, and local laws/regulations.

Controller’s Office

The Controller’s Office is responsible for the management and oversight of the Financial Reporting and General Ledger sections. In addition, the Controller’s Office provides technical accounting and reporting guidance to all City departments.

The Financial Reporting Section is responsible for preparing and maintaining accurate financial statements and disclosures, which are audited annually under the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The section is also responsible for preparing the annual Single Audit to provide assurance to the federal and state governments that grant/award receipts are compliant with applicable rules and regulations. In addition, the Financial Reporting section works closely with the Office of Management and Budget in preparation of monthly financial reports that highlight departments’ budget-to-actual results.

The General Ledger Section maintains the accuracy of the City’s general ledger account balances through the processing of various entries and preparing account reconciliations, provides accounting services and analyses to management, handles the City’s unclaimed property, monitors and addresses the City's accounts receivables, and provides quality and timely customer service to both internal and external parties.

For additional information, please contact:

Disbursements

Disbursements is responsible for the management and oversight of the Accounts Payable, Payroll and Time and Attendance sections.

The Accounts Payable Section is responsible for creating and executing all vendor payments for purchases necessary to support the City’s facilities, services, and programs, including goods and services, delegate agency program reimbursements, construction projects, debt service, and employee expense reimbursements. The section works toward timely payments to foster good working relationships with the City. The Accounts Payable section also supports all City department personnel with the vendor payment process and policy and manages the employee travel/expense reimbursement system and related Administrative Directives.

How to work with COSA for faster vendor payments: Working with COSA ─ Keys to Faster Payments (PDF).

The Payroll Section is responsible for processing accurate and timely payrolls by efficiently maintaining and submitting confidential information to employees, departments, financial institutions, and external agencies. The goal of providing exceptional customer service is achieved by a conscientious team of payroll professionals, dedicated to serving the needs of the City of San Antonio employees through friendly and effective communication, with a pledge for continuous improvement. This is accomplished while following City policies as well as state and federal laws and regulations. 

The Time and Attendance Section is responsible for the recording of attendance and leave data for employees of the City of San Antonio. In addition to recording time data, the Time and Attendance Section staff verifies payroll results and provides customer service to employees who have questions about their paychecks. 

For additional information, please contact:

• James L. Wilson, Payroll and Accounts Payable Administrator, 210-207-5481
• April Lerner, Payroll Manager, 210-207-7832
• Bao Griffin, Time and Attendance Manager, 210-207-8655

Compliance and Resolution

Compliance and Resolution reviews citywide financial policies and procedures, evaluates complex management controls, identifies control weaknesses, formulates recommendations to improve the control environment, and helps departments resolve internal control issues as necessary. The group performs reviews to ensure citywide compliance with contracts, grants, ordinances, and management mandates. Compliance and Resolution also participates in special investigations, projects, and programs requested by the City Manager’s Office and/or Department Directors and coordinates with the Tax Assessor, City Attorney’s Office, and other departments to identify accounts receivable and resolve compliance issues.

The Compliance and Resolution Group is responsible for processing, issuing, billing, collecting, and limited enforcement of alcohol permit ordinances. The group is also responsible for enforcement of the coin-operated amusement machine tax. In addition, the Compliance and Resolution Group is responsible for Credit Access Business matters, such as approving or rejecting applications for a certificate of registration, issuing registration certificates, and processing complaints received. Compliance and Resolution inspects the records of hotels to verify that Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) reports are filed and accurate and to clarify the City’s HOT ordinances with hotel staff when appropriate.

For additional information, please contact:

• Dawn Oppermann, CPA, CIA, CISA, Compliance and Resolution Administrator, 210-207-5067
• Gabby Aguilar-Alvarez, Compliance and Resolution Manager, 210-207-8619
• Julia Webb-Carter, CIA, Compliance and Resolution Manager, 210-207-6068
• Liquor Licenses: 210-207-8660
• Coin-Operated Amusement Machine Occupational Tax: 210-207-8660
• Credit Access Business: 210-207-8660

Financial Operations

Financial Operations has two primary areas of focus:

• Providing on-going support for Finance systems and operations
• Undertaking enterprise- and department-wide projects that result in improved financial processes and systems

On-going support includes the administration and maintenance of the San Antonio electronic Procurement System (SAePS) that provides functionality for vendor registration, solicitation development and posting, vendor selection process, and on-line procurement catalogues. Financial Operations provides Level One support for the City’s end users (employees) as well as City vendors and potential suppliers in using SAePS. For vendors, the group provides support from the vendor registration process through the solicitation phase. Financial Operations staff conducts vendor registration outreach and training presentations. For the City’s end users, the group directly assists employees experiencing issues with SAePS as well as develops and maintains all system and process training materials. Financial Operations works closely with ITSD staff to repair, test, and enhance SAePS.

Financial Operations maintains all master data related to grants and capital projects and other Finance-related master data, including customer, procurement and non-procurement vendor, and material master records. Additionally, the group is charged with maintaining the Finance Department’s website and contingency operating plan. Regarding projects, Financial Operations is responsible for project management for Finance-related technical and organizational projects that affect the COSA enterprise as well as the Finance Department. These include the implementation of such long-term projects as the Kaba Time & Attendance System and the Customer First San Antonio Project (C1SA) that is developing an enterprise point-of-sale and reservation/registration system. Financial Operations has also been instrumental in implementing projects such as Shared Services, Employee Self-Service, and other initiatives.

For additional information, please contact:

• Suzanne Guerra, Financial Operations Administrator, 210-207-8649

Financial Services

The Financial Services Group is responsible for debt management, investment portfolio management, banking services, and various revenue collections for the City of San Antonio.

Financial Management

The Financial Management Division is responsible for providing short-term and long-term strategic financial planning in order to efficiently and effectively utilize the City’s financial resources to help accomplish its various goals and objectives. In connection with this, the division is responsible for comprehensive debt and investment portfolio management and administration, to include the financing of capital projects, providing for the safety of investment principal, and ensuring adequate liquidity of City funds. Financial Management is also responsible for procuring and directing the utilization of depository and banking services required to administer and maintain custody of the City’s funds. Additionally, the division is responsible for updating and administering tax increment finance plans and assisting with other financial special projects.

For additional information, please contact:

• Alejandro Tijerina, Financial Manager - Debt, Investments, and Banking, 210-207-8668
• Alfred F. Chang - Tax Increment Financing / Special Projects, 210-207-4179

Revenue

The Revenue Division is responsible for the calculation of the City’s effective tax rate and the publication of notices as required by law. The division provides all property tax information for the City’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ) and other initiatives including tax abatements, annexations, and special projects, and administers the Downtown Public Improvement District. The Tax Assessor/Collector Administrator serves as the City’s liaison with the Bexar County Appraisal District and the Bexar County Tax Office.
 
The Revenue Division collects incoming payments including Hotel Occupancy Tax due to the City and Bexar County, Code Compliance enforcement violations, and various City permits, such as peddler’s licenses, as well as the remittance for and issuance of various building permits. The Revenue Division also works with departmental Petty Cash Custodians for the issuance of Petty Cash reimbursements. Questions regarding payments should be directed to 210-207-8667.

For additional information, please contact:

• Tina Murillo, Tax Assessor/Collector Administrator, 210-207-8740
• Zabrina Garza, Collections Manager, 210-207-8741

Print and Mail Operations

The Print and Mail Operations Division is the City’s in-house print and mail facility responsible for providing professional-quality support to all City departments with their print and mail needs. Print and Mail Operations offers an array of printing services that include black and/or color ink reproduction of forms, flyers, agendas, postcards, booklets, and letters which facilitates printed communication between City departments, City staff, and the constituents they serve. 

Print and Mail Operations is located at City Tower, 100 W. Houston, walking distance from City Hall and various other departments. The primary focus of Print and Mail Operations is to increase operational efficiencies to reduce the cost to other departments. With high-resolution printers and a dedicated team, Print and Mail Operations maintains a customer satisfaction rate of more than 90% by providing over 95% of orders within 3 days. 

COSA Departments: Please visit the Print & Mail Services COSAWEB Page to submit your requests. NOTE: This link is for COSA employees only.

For additional information, please contact:

• Guillermo Castoreno, Print/Mail Manager, 210-207-8441

To send In-Person COSA Mail or Packages:

• Print and Mail Center Services
• City of San Antonio
• Attn: [Person/Department/Suite]
• 100 W. Houston St.
• San Antonio, TX 78205

Public Utilities

The Public Utilities Group provides recommendations and assistance to the Mayor and City Council regarding regulatory oversight of CPS Energy (CPS) and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS). This includes, but is not limited to, the review and analysis of all rate filings, utility financial transactions, and assistance to constituents with complaints regarding policies or services rendered by CPS or SAWS.

In addition, Public Utilities monitors and collects all cable television franchise fee payments and rights-of-way compensation from certified telecommunication providers operating within the City limits. Oversight of these entities includes the assurance that they are in compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations established by state and federal agencies, the provisions of the franchise agreements, and City Council policies.

For additional information, please contact:

• Jeff Pullin, Public Utilities Administrator, 210-207-6191

Shared Services

The Shared Services Program takes an enterprise approach to managing our operations by streamlining administrative resources to improve service delivery and providing a work environment that supports consistency, integrity, and accountability. This approach allows operating departments to focus on their core business delivery. The City has also taken a shared service approach to certain human resource and information technology functions. The Finance Department’s Shared Services Program includes the following:

Departmental Fiscal Administrators

Department Fiscal Administrators (DFAs) are finance employees assigned to all City departments. They are responsible for the management of fiscal operations throughout their assigned departments. DFAs develop department budgets, monitor expenditures and revenues, approve purchases, and monitor the financial status of construction projects and grants. They assist in the preparation of the monthly, quarterly and year-end financial reports to include the data needed for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), budget documents, and the Single Audit. DFAs routinely work with operating department directors and managers to assist with department financial policies and procedures. DFAs are also the primary department contact for the external auditors.

For additional information, please contact:

• Tamika Miles, Fiscal Operations Administrator, 210-207-8096

Compliance and Resolution

Finance’s Compliance and Resolution Division provides guidance to compliance personnel in City departments. The purpose is to standardize and improve financial compliance activities for City contracts and grants for:

• Planning, organizing, and investigating
• Assessing contract and grant performance
• Operational, contractual, and statutory compliance
• Compliance with federal and state grant regulations
• Monitoring of delegate agencies and performance of those agencies

For additional information, please contact:

• Dawn Oppermann, Compliance and Resolution Administrator, 210-207-5067

Time and Attendance

Prior to February 2012, the duties of the Time and Attendance Section were decentralized, with departments having to dedicate man hours to time recording and payroll. Time and Attendance functions were centralized under the Finance department in order to accomplish the following objectives:

• To gain economies and efficiencies in staffing with 37 full-time dedicated specialists whose jobs are solely time and attendance support
• To ensure that City and federal policies and procedures regarding attendance and leave are being applied correctly and consistently across departments

For additional information, please contact:

• Bao Griffin, Time and Attendance Manager, 210-207-8655