MONTGOMERY, Ala., December 12, 2007 – The State Personnel Board unanimously passed a motion this morning to rewrite the qualifications and salary classifications for accountants, auditors and budget analysts in state government. The statewide upgrades will allow the state to recruit, hire and retain top financial employees.
“SMART Governing requires that the State be competitive in recruiting and retaining financial personnel, and this action will help achieve that goal,” said Finance Director James Allen Main. The SMART Governing cycle, managed by the state Finance Department, is designed to improve Alabama Government by requiring organizational planning, linking plans to budget requests and appropriations, and creating meaningful performance measurements. The acronym stands for Specific results, Measurable key goals, Accountable to stakeholders, Responsive to customers, and Transparent to everyone.
This rewrite, the state’s largest classification overhaul since the early 1990s, will have minimal impact on current employees in financial positions. However, those meeting the new requirements will receive the same pay increase as new hires in these positions.
Bob Childree, State Comptroller, stated, “I really appreciate the visionary outlook of the State Personnel Board in providing the state of Alabama with the necessary tools to acquire the best financial employees that are available.” The future accountability of the state of Alabama is very critical; this will allow us to support both SMART and Governor Riley’s commitment to full accountability.
The proposed, more stringent requirements and enhanced pay structure were the recommendation of a task force of fiscal officers. Main spoke on behalf of the new structure before the State Personnel Board this morning.
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About the Alabama Department of Finance
The mission of the State of Alabama Department of Finance is to provide outstanding resourceful leadership and service in areas of financial management and operational support to advance the Governor’s mission of restoring trust and transforming state government. The Finance Director is the chief financial officer of the state, the advisor of the Governor and of the Legislature in financial matters, and at all times, is charged with protecting the financial interests of the state. The Director is also responsible to the Governor for the administration of the Department of Finance and its divisions: purchasing, comptroller, information services, budget, service management, risk management, legal, finance accounting and debt management.