Accountant I

Ottawa County•West Olive, MI

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Accountant I works under the limited supervision of the Delinquent Tax Manager and performs cashiering, accounting, financial analysis, and technical and administrative work for the Treasurer’s Office. The position serves members of the public by accepting payments, certifying documents, and responding to inquiries about Treasurer’s Office and other County department functions. It works with the Revenue Accounting Supervisor to ensure payments are issued accurately and on time, and requires detailed knowledge of specialized departmental operations and applicable Michigan laws. The role processes and balances revenues, researches deeds and legal descriptions, manages the County’s animal licensing system, and performs tax-roll adjustments and general-ledger activities. It also supports audit preparation, office operations, customer-service improvements, and compliance with policies intended to safeguard County assets and maintain industry best practices. This is a full-time, benefited position at the Fillmore Complex in West Olive, Michigan. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with travel to other county locations as needed. Work is generally performed in a normal office environment.

Requirements

Associate degree from an accredited institution in Accounting or a closely related field, combined with three years of progressively responsible experience in fund accounting, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Thorough working knowledge of proper cash-handling and cash-accounting protocols, practices, and procedures.
Advanced knowledge of parcel numbers, property descriptions, parcel mapping, deeds, and survey data, and understanding of real-estate terminology and title documents.
Knowledge of local-government finance and the Michigan General Property Tax Act, as amended by PA 123 of 1999.
Thorough working knowledge of general-ledger and fund-accounting principles and practices.
Knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements governing confidentiality, including HIPAA.
Computer literacy and thorough working knowledge of spreadsheet, database, accounting, e-commerce, and ESRI-based GIS software.
Good analytical, quantitative, critical-thinking, and organizational skills.
Strong attention to detail.
Excellent interpersonal and human-relations skills, including the ability to communicate verbally and in writing with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations.

Nice To Haves

Cash Handling Training for Treasury Personnel Certification is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Perform cashiering, cash handling, and accounting functions to accurately process, record, and balance revenue from various sources.
Process payments made in person, over the phone, and online.
Research deeds, titles, and legal descriptions; verify ownership and whether property is free of delinquent real-property taxes for the prior five years; and issue certificates.
Identify and reconcile discrepancies between deed information and existing parcel data.
Notify property owners and relevant professionals or agencies of deed errors or delinquent taxes, and provide instructions and delinquent tax statements.
Compile information needed to record plats and condominiums.
Manage the Treasurer’s Office animal-licensing operation, including coordinating kennel and dog license sales with local governmental units, veterinarians, and the Harbor Humane Society.
Verify required animal-licensing inspections with local governmental units and County Animal Control Officers.
Maintain, test, implement, operate, modify, and provide user maintenance and training for the County’s web-based animal-licensing program.
Solicit bids for, maintain, distribute, and inventory kennel and dog license supplies; prepare billings and reconcile license-fee collections.
Review and process amendments to prior-year tax rolls, complete related calculations and forms, and enter amendments in BS&A Delinquent Tax.net.
Prepare general-ledger journal entries, allocate revenues and fees to appropriate accounts, prepare billings, and submit payment requests to Accounts Payable.
Prepare and distribute County check payments, license-renewal applications, delinquent-tax notices, payments, and correspondence; deliver applicable mailings to the post office.
Process returned mail by determining correct addresses and resending items.
Process, prepare, and maintain records of delinquent personal-property tax payments and tax adjustments.
Reconcile general-ledger accounts to subsidiary ledgers at month end and year end, and prepare work papers for the annual audit.
Manage office business functions, including supply inventories, ordering supplies, and verifying invoices for payment.
Maintain current millage cards for County taxing entities based on election results and forward the information to the Ottawa County Equalization Department.
Provide notarization services for customers and County departments.
Assist in developing and updating processes, policies, and procedures to improve efficiency and customer experience.
Perform other assigned duties, including research, report preparation, program development and implementation, and presentation of technical data.