Manager, Taxation & Utilities

**Requisition ID**:
39336
**Organization**
Located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples, Vancouver has a commitment to becoming a City of Reconciliation. Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the world’s most liveable cities and is working towards being the greenest city in the world. Named among Canada's Top 100 Employers, BC's Top Employers, and Canada's Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver seeks colleagues who can help shape and embody our core commitments to sustainability, decolonization, equity and outstanding quality of life for all residents.
Consider joining our committed team of staff and being part of an innovative, inclusive and rewarding workplace.
**Main Purpose and Function**
The position manages the billing and collection of property tax and utilities amounting to approximately $1.5 billion annually. As part of the Revenue Services management team, the Manager, Taxation and Utilities is responsible for implementing and improving policies, standards, business processes and systems to enable effective billing of tax and utility revenues. The position manages the operations of the property tax and utility billings including administering tax policies, tax collection, Provincial programs (eg:
Home Owner Grant, Deferred Tax programs, and Grants-in-Lieu of tax billings), and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (‘PILT’) program. The Manager, Taxation and Utilities ensures compliance with all applicable legislation and bylaws and is the Deputy Collector of Taxes as appointed by Council under the Vancouver Charter.
**Specific Duties &
Responsibilities**
- Responsible for the operations (coordination, planning, controlling and monitoring) of the tax and utility billing functions.
- Establishes annual goals and objectives for the tax and utility billing function and supports the long-term goal settings and objectives for this function.
- Develops work plans and timelines to implement and monitor progress of function deliverables.
- Responsible for compiling the business operational metrics and achieve the metric targets.
- Recommends and implements improvements to business processes and computer systems through collaboration with external software provider and internal IT sustainment team to implement improvements. Provides related processes and systems training and assistance to departmental staff.
- Works with other departments on City projects to ensure integration to Revenue Services systems.
- Provides management support to supervisors and staff including developing performance goals and objectives, and providing guidance and advice on staff management issues. Responsible for hiring, onboarding, training and developing staff.
- Prepares and reviews complex analysis on tax and utility issues and models.
- Works with BC Assessment and Long-term Financial Planning department on complex property valuation issues and implements decisions from assessment appeal board decisions.
- Manage the annual sale of properties due to tax arrears by minimizing the number of delinquent folios going to tax sale and, ensuring the compliance of legislative correspondence protocols prior and post tax sale and relevant administrative paperwork is complete and accurate.
- Prepares reports for senior management and Council on tax related issues including property tax exemptions, grants-in-lieu, and annual interest rates on arrears.
- Works with the long-term financial planning department on annual tax policy requirements and determination of annual tax mill rates. The long -term financial planning department is responsible for strategy and policy development whereas the manager, taxation and utilities is responsible for the administration and operations.
- Responsible for levying business improvement assessments and local improvement charges on the annual tax billing, overseeing the billing of payments-in-lieu of taxes for all exempt properties, and preparing yearly risk to roll calculations on a semi-annual basis.
- Works with Engineering Utility management to provide input on utility rate and bylaw changes.
- Develops and implements business processes, billing and tax policies, and communication plans to support new tax and utility initiatives (eg:
water metering and conservation, organic waste collection).
- Performs the statutory duties of the Deputy Collector as described in the Vancouver Charter, Home Owner Grant Act and Land Tax Deferment Act and conducting of the annual Tax Sale.
- Responsible for complex customer issues escalation and resolution relating to levy adjustments, penalties and interest.
- Coordinates with FPA on annual tax provision budget and the quarterly analysis of actual to budget variances. Forecasts are updated quarterly
- Ensures the revenue accounting for taxes and utilities are timely and accurate, and reviews and approves reconciliations of subledgers to GL accounts