City officials presented a proposed reorganization May 14 that would combine multiple central administrative functions into a single Department of Finance & Administration (DFA).

Catherine Shaw, the city’s chief administrative officer, introduced the plan and said the consolidated department will place the Clerk/Treasurer’s office at the center and integrate human resources, the assessor’s office and innovation & technology. Shaw and other department leads said the move aims to centralize payroll, software and data systems, improve cybersecurity, and create more consistent, citywide financial and customer-service processes.

Shaw said two data-team positions that had been housed in Planning will move back into IMT (innovation and technology). Scott Parker, the city’s chief innovation officer, and Greg Kirk, director of finance, joined Shaw for the presentation; Lynn Reagan was introduced as interim director of human resources and Joe Turner as the assessor joining remotely.

Officials said notable changes in FY26 reflect reallocated IT software expenses (including some software previously budgeted in the police department) and personnel shifts between departments. Shaw told councillors the staffing line for IMT looks larger because it now includes positions moved from Planning and some software expenses that were previously paid from other budgets.

Councilors asked for additional detail about the number of people associated with each function and how workflows will change. Shaw and department heads said they would provide more detailed organization charts and that the administration expects to combine the separate department budgets into a single DFA budget before council consideration of the FY26 budget.

Why it matters: centralizing finance, HR, assessment and IT can produce operational efficiencies and easier citizen-facing services but raises questions about workload, employee morale and how shared services will be staffed and funded.

What’s next: the administration said it would provide more detailed org charts and the DFA proposal will be carried forward into the FY26 budget process, with a combined budget expected to be presented to council in the coming weeks.