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Mukilteo council approves a senior staff accountant position, reclassifies two finance roles
Summary
Council authorized adding one full‑time Senior Staff Accountant to manage grant fiscal tracking and financial system work (approved 4–2) and unanimously approved reclassifying two finance positions to Accounting Specialist to improve cross‑training and continuity.
The Mukilteo City Council voted to authorize the mayor to add one full‑time Senior Staff Accountant to the finance department and unanimously approved reclassifying two existing finance positions to Accounting Specialists.
Finance Director Anna Maria Nunez said the senior staff accountant’s primary duties would be fiscal management of grants — including tracking invoices, timely billing, and preparing federally required schedules of expenditures for federal awards — and supporting implementation of the city’s new financial system. Nunez told council there are about 15 active grants and cited recent increases in federal fund expenditures (including ARPA) that require greater fiscal reporting capacity; she also said the position is needed for continuity because she has submitted her resignation and will retire June 30.
The staff proposal allocated the position’s cost across funds: 50% to surface water, 25% to capital projects and 25% to the general fund, though council members asked whether the allocation could be adjusted to include the public safety fund or change if actual hours worked differ from estimates. Nunez and Public Works Director Nienhaus said many stormwater grants allow some labor reimbursement (roughly 10% in the director’s experience) and that timely billing could improve cash flow by converting expenditures into receivables sooner.
Council Vice President Emory moved to authorize the hire, seconded by Council Member Duran; the motion passed 4–2 with Council Members Champion and Dixon voting no. Champion and Dixon expressed concern about the funding split and the audit risk of allocating an indirect position across multiple funds; they said they would prefer a clearer funding plan or a larger general‑fund share to reduce long‑term uncertainty. Supporters noted the position would reduce overtime, help close monthly books more quickly, and strengthen grant recovery and ERP implementation.
Separately, the council approved reclassifying a Senior Department Assistant and an Accounting Technician into Accounting Specialists to improve cross‑training and reduce out‑of‑class pay; that motion passed unanimously.
The new hire will be evaluated during implementation and the council directed staff to monitor actual time allocations and return to council if funding allocations need adjusting.
