Finance

The Finance Department directs and manages the financial functions of the City. This includes accounting, financial reporting, debt management, investment of public funds, budgeting, payroll and accounts payable. The Finance Department is also responsible for all billing and collections, most notably for all City utilities and Sidney’s income tax.

For years 2000 through 2008, the GFOA has awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to the City of Sidney. This award is presented to governmental entities that publish a budget document, which was judged to be proficient in several categories, including its effectiveness as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device.
Please note that information in the budget document has not been updated for subsequent budget revisions as approved by Council since its original adoption.

The City strives to meet or exceed the highest standards in governmental financial reporting. The Finance Department received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) for years 1998 through 2007. This award is presented to governmental entities whose Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) achieves the highest standards in government accounting and financial reporting. The CAFR (pdf format) is considered the full set of financial statements for the City and has received a “clean” audit opinion by independent auditors. The information in the CAFR has not been updated for developments subsequent of the date of the independent auditor's report.

Many interested citizens want less detailed financial information, without rows and rows of numbers and accounting jargon. For them, we have prepared the Citizen’s Summarized Financial Report (pdf format) which is intended to summarize the financial activities of the City of Sidney. This report is un-audited. For the most part, the data was compiled from the financial information appearing in the City’s CAFR.

The City has established a comprehensive set of financial & investment policies to facilitate decision-making. Please see the Statement of Financial Policy (pdf format) and the Investment & Deposit Policy (pdf format) for more policy information.

1. Sidney’s Comprehensive Plan: Imagine Sidney 2025. This document establishes a policy framework to guide the expansion of the City and the future development over a 10 to 15 year period.

2. Five-Year Financial Plan. (pdf format) Updated annually, this plan projects operating funds’ financial performance, estimates funding needs, identifies funding sources, and expands upon the Comprehensive Plan. The Five-Year Plan includes the capital project requests and projected staffing needs for the next 5 years.


3. Annual Operating & Capital Budgets 2012 (pdf format) – annual financial plan of the City. The budget is developed with the help of the entire City staff and is generally adopted by City Council every December.

Q. Where should I send an invoice for payment by the City?
A. Invoices can be sent to:
City of Sidney
201 W. Poplar St.
Sidney, OH 45365

Q. When will my invoice be paid?
A. Generally, accounts payable checks are written once a week. The City’s policy is that all invoices approved for payment will be paid within 30 days of receipt unless contractual terms provide otherwise.

Q. What are the hours of operation for the Finance Department?
A. The Finance Department is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

Q. Is the City tax exempt?
A. Yes, for a copy of the “Blanket Certificate of Exemption” for the City, please call Accounts Payable at (937) 498-8147.