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Sumter Local Government Consulting is pleased to assist the City of Lake City, GA, in recruiting its Finance Director. The Finance Director reports to the City Manager and is a critical member of the city's executive leadership team.
Lake City is a welcoming, close-knit community located in northern Clayton County, approximately nine miles south of downtown Atlanta. Known as the "City of Friendly People," Lake City combines the charm and accessibility of a small municipality with the advantages of being located within one of the nation's largest metropolitan regions. Incorporated in 1951, the City has maintained a strong sense of community while benefiting from the economic opportunities and transportation infrastructure of metropolitan Atlanta.
Covering approximately 1.9 square miles and home to nearly 3,000 residents, Lake City offers a high quality of life characterized by friendly neighborhoods, engaged citizens, and responsive local government. The City's size allows elected officials and staff to maintain close relationships with residents and businesses while providing personalized municipal services. Community pride, accessibility, and customer service remain hallmarks of the City's culture.
Lake City's strategic location is one of its greatest assets. The City enjoys immediate access to Interstate 75 and Interstate 285 and is located only minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the world's busiest airports. The City is also adjacent to the cities of Forest Park and Morrow, near Clayton State University, and in close proximity to the Fort Gillem redevelopment area. This exceptional connectivity provides residents and businesses with convenient access to regional employment centers, higher education, logistics, healthcare, and entertainment throughout metro Atlanta.
Residents enjoy the benefits of a diverse metropolitan community while maintaining the feel of a hometown where neighbors know one another and civic engagement is encouraged. The City is served by Clayton County Public Schoolsand benefits from nearby educational opportunities, parks, recreation, shopping, and cultural amenities throughout Clayton County and the Atlanta region. The City's convenient location also provides access to a robust workforce, extensive public transportation options, and numerous recreational and entertainment destinations.
Lake City's Mayor and City Council have established a vision centered on fiscal responsibility, excellent customer service, economic vitality, infrastructure improvements, and maintaining a safe, attractive community.
Ideal Candidate
The City of Lake City is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and service-oriented finance professional who combines exceptional technical expertise with outstanding leadership and interpersonal skills. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker who is equally comfortable managing the City's day-to-day financial operations while serving as a trusted advisor to the City Manager, Mayor, and City Council.
This individual will possess unquestioned integrity, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement while helping preserve the City's strong financial position and identifying opportunities to modernize financial processes and enhance organizational efficiency. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a smaller organization where versatility, accessibility, and responsiveness are highly valued, and where they can make a meaningful impact on the organization and the community.
The Position
The Finance Director serves as a key member of the City's executive leadership team and is responsible for planning, directing, and overseeing all financial operations of the City of Lake City. Reporting directly to the City Manager, the Finance Director provides strategic financial leadership while ensuring the integrity, transparency, and long-term sustainability of the City's financial operations. The position is entrusted with considerable independent judgment and initiative in administering the City's financial management systems and serves as the City's principal advisor on all matters involving budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, investments, internal controls, and fiscal policy.
The Finance Director leads and coordinates all municipal finance activities, including budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, banking, investments, auditing, debt administration, cash management, and financial policy development. The position is responsible for maintaining the City's financial records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), governmental accounting standards, and all applicable federal and state laws while ensuring the City maintains the highest standards of fiscal accountability and transparency. The operating budget for FY2026 is $5,565,046.
Working closely with the City Manager and department directors, the Finance Director directs the development, preparation, implementation, and monitoring of the City's annual operating and capital budgets. The successful candidate will provide accurate financial forecasts, analyze revenues and expenditures, monitor budget performance, and provide timely recommendations that support informed decision-making by the City Manager, Mayor, and City Council. The Finance Director plays a central role in maintaining the City's excellent financial condition while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen internal controls, and enhance long-term financial planning.
The Finance Director oversees all accounting operations, ensuring accurate financial reporting, account reconciliation, maintenance of official financial records, preparation of financial statements, and compliance with governmental accounting and reporting requirements. The position coordinates the City's annual independent audit, works closely with external auditors, prepares required financial reports, and ensures compliance with all applicable Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements and state financial reporting standards.
The position is responsible for administering the City's banking relationships, investment portfolio, cash management practices, and debt obligations while safeguarding public assets through sound financial management and effective internal controls. The Finance Director continually evaluates financial policies and procedures to ensure compliance with industry best practices and evolving governmental accounting standards.
Unlike many larger municipalities, the Finance Director serves in a broad operational leadership capacity with direct responsibility for several additional administrative functions. The position oversees tax collection, payroll administration, human resources administration, and utility billing, requiring exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of customer service. The successful candidate must be comfortable balancing both strategic financial leadership and hands-on operational responsibilities.
The successful candidate will also evaluate opportunities to modernize financial operations through improved technology, streamlined business processes, enhanced reporting capabilities, and updated financial policies. As Lake City continues to build upon its strong financial foundation, the Finance Director will have the opportunity to recommend improvements that increase organizational efficiency while maintaining excellent customer service and strong fiscal stewardship. This includes evaluating financial software solutions, reviewing financial policies, and identifying best practices that support continuous organizational improvement.
This position offers an exceptional opportunity for an experienced local government finance professional seeking a broad executive leadership role. The next Finance Director will join a financially stable organization with supportive elected officials, healthy financial reserves, and a commitment to professional management. The successful candidate will play a significant role in preserving the City's outstanding financial condition while helping shape the future of Lake City through sound fiscal leadership, strategic planning, and continuous operational improvement.
The position requires the successful candidate to meet the following qualifications:

• College degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field;
• Five (5) years of financial management experience, to include supervisor experience, preferably with a government organization; and
• Any equivalent combination of experience and training to accomplish the foregoing.

Salary
The hiring range for this position is $83,000 - $96,000.
Application Process
For more information on this position, including supplementary documents and resources, visit the recruitment webpage at:
City of Lake City Finance Director Recruitment Page
https://sumterlocalgovconsulting.com/recruitments/finance-director-lake-city-ga/
The first round of resume reviews will take place on September 14, 2026.
Please refrain from contacting the City of Lake City's staff or elected officials.
Please contact the Executive Recruiter with any questions or concerns:
Billy Grogan
Email: billy@sumterconsulting.com
Phone: 770-403-8086
Website: www.sumterlocalgovconsulting.com
Requirements
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