City of Marion Controller, Julie Flores, has been serving the citizens of Marion since January, 2016. Since that time, she has successfully brought the City into a better financial state in various ways. This week, she reported to the Mayor and fellow department heads that next year for the first time since she began in her role, the City will no longer be borrowing from the bond bank. She added that the health insurance beginning balance of more than -$4.2 million (‘in the red’) before her appointment, now sits at $825,000 (‘in the black’).
Flores has not only been working diligently to achieve the City of Marion’s financial health, but striving to better herself in her profession. She was recently awarded the status of Certified Municipal Official through Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM)’s Municipal Management Institute. The title is given to officials who complete 24 courses under the program from learning new legislation to managing a staff. This is one example of Flores’ ongoing efforts to improve in her career.
Deputy Controller Lynda Faw expressed pride in Flores’ achievements on behalf of the department. “Julie has served the community by overseeing all financial aspects of the City of Marion. Her fiscal integrity, experience, and background in government has proven to help the City in multiple areas. She works diligently to be compliant by following all state and federal guidelines. Furthermore, her recent AIM certification demonstrates her efforts to increase her knowledge and leadership skills, and shows her determination to stay abreast on current mandates that will directly impact the citizens of Marion. We thank Julie for all her hard work to enhance the overall finances of the City of Marion.”
Mayor Jess Alumbaugh emphasized overall gratitude towards Flores’ dedicated work and accomplishments. “Back in 2015 as I began to identify the staff I felt were essential to help me lead the City into a prosperous future, Julie was my only consideration for the Controller position. Her experience and integrity epitomize what I expect from my administration, and her efforts and counsel have been invaluable as I’ve made my fiscal decisions in putting our city back on a road of recovery. While we still have a ways to go before we can be secure in our financial future, the strides we have made over the past six years are monumental, and I attribute much of our success to Julie’s ability to remain diligent during very demanding times.”
