Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Paula finance department reports steady operations, staffing changes and utility‑billing notes
Summary
The finance department reported Jan–Apr 2026 activity including nearly 4,000 invoices processed (~$6.5M), payroll and debt payments, licensing renewals, and staffing updates (new accounting specialist; retirement), and discussed winter‑average sewer billing and utility‑billing assistance.
Assistant Finance Director Fabian Castellon presented the city's finance department activity report for January through April 2026, summarizing accounts‑receivable and accounts‑payable operations, licensing activity, and staffing changes.
Castellon said accounts payable processed just under 4,000 invoices totaling about $6.5 million during the period and listed major categories of spending including payroll, bond/loan repayments and construction payments. He described licensing work (business renewals and monthly dog‑license processing), a staffing rotation following a vacated position and the hiring of a new accounting specialist, Suyapa Vega; he also noted the retirement of long‑tenured employee Wendy Morris and reassignment of staff to stabilize operations.
Councilmembers asked about utility‑billing delinquencies and the city's work with community partners for assistance. Staff said outside assistance programs have largely expired and the department is focused on payment arrangements to avoid shutoffs; if a customer has a winter‑average sewer billing anomaly due to a leak staff will re‑calculate and make adjustments.
The council received the activity report (receipt file) and thanked staff for the briefing.
