DOLA - Local Government Services - Budget and Compliance Program Assistant I

Full Job Description

Who can Apply

This opportunity is only open to residents of the State of Colorado.

About the Colorado Department of Local Affairs

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) serves as the primary interface between the State and local communities.

The Department provides financial support to local communities and professional and technical services (including training and technical assistance) to community leaders in the areas of governance, housing, and property tax administration.

While all state governments provide such services through various Departmental structures, Colorado’s approach is unique in that these local community services are gathered into one Department of “Local Affairs,” which has a central focus on strengthening Colorado communities and enhancing livability.

Vision

The Department of Local Affairs is responsible for strengthening Colorado's local communities through: accessible, affordable, and secure housing; implementing property tax law; capacity building; strategic training, research, and technical assistance; and funding to localities.

Mission

Our mission is to help strengthen Colorado’s communities.

Why work for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs?

The work we do matters greatly. It matters to us and it matters to the citizens of the great state of Colorado. We love our communities and are passionate about supporting our communities.

We value the diversity that Colorado offers.

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference in communities across the State, consider joining the dedicated people of the Department of Local Affairs.

In addition, we offer a great location and great benefits, which include:

• Medical and Dental Plans

• Strong, secure, yet flexible Retirement Plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus pre-tax and ROTH 401K, and 457 plans

• Employee Wellness Programs

• Paid Life Insurance

• 11 paid Holidays per year plus Vacation and Sick Leave

• Short and Long-Term Disability Coverage

• RTD Eco Pass to all eligible State Employees

• Flexible work schedule options and hybrid work options

• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

• Training opportunities

• Variety of Free discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program

Please see the Benefits Overview video for details on the benefits offered to employees.

Requirements

The Division of Local Government work unit exists to plan, manage and direct a broad array of financial assistance, statutory compliance, and technical assistance services for local governments.

The work unit conducts research about local governments, primarily related to finance, budget, special district election, and governmental administration.

Work unit maintains a public repository of statutorily required local government filings and serves as a clearinghouse, for the benefit of local government, of information relating to the common problems of local government and of the state and federal services available to assist in the solution of those problems and to improve the relationship between state and local governments.

This position provides program support and technical assistance primarily to the Local Government Services section in regard to required compliance programs and processes assigned to the Division through statutory and other business requirements.

As well as support for the division’s enforcement of the Local Government Budget Compliance Program and provides technical assistance to local governments.

The position assists with the process of receiving, validating, and making publicly available budget documentation required from approximately 4,400 local governments annually.

The primary duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

Provide technical assistance to local government officials and the State Auditor's Office regarding compliance with division requirements for statutory inactive district status.

Additionally, the role provides technical assistance to counties and school districts concerning revenues derived from federal lands programs.

Assist the Local Government budget compliance program manager by validating and recording a variety of budget document types and notices of inactivity to identify non-compliant entities.

The position interprets statutory and other program guidance to provide technical assistance and suggests resolutions for identified budget issues.

The position compiles tracking reports, generates formal notices, and lists of non-compliant entities for review and distribution.

Review notices of initiation, continuance, and return from inactive status per statutory definition, reviewing statute, levy information, annual reports of districts, and other documentation to determine any district’s qualification.

Position then confirms status or communicates reasons for disqualification to the district.

Position develops reports of inactive districts, reconciles this data with the Office of the State Auditor, and determines when to involve program and division management in review.

Assist in the collection and reporting of each county’s selected payment method for Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act funding.

Using federal and state guidance, provide technical assistance to county and school district representatives regarding receipt requirements.

This role is responsible for validating that collected data complies with federal standards and preparing documentation for program manager review prior to submission to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Serve as a key point of contact, managing electronic, telephone and in person correspondence from local government representatives and citizens.

Investigates inquiries or identified issues to provide informed responses regarding compliance, suggested procedures, and problem resolution.

Position must decide when to escalate any items or issues to the program manager or to other resources available within the work unit or Division.

Provide logistical and content development support for several in-person workshops, online webinars, and occasional budget field trainings for local government boards each year. Infrequent travel is required.

Interpret the basic rules, regulations, policies and precedents established by statutory reference, program staff and management for each compliance program in order to address local government questions, obtain compliance of those governments and achieve identified program and management objectives of the division.

Support the VFP program manager for timely state contribution distribution to local entities participating in VFP program.

Position provides support to the work unit’s program coordinator managing the receipt and verification of local government formation documents and the creation of any new entity record in the division’s statutorily required inventory of local governments.

Position also provides secondary support to several other division compliance programs, including the statutory “5.5%” property tax revenue limitation program.

Support VFP program manager in annual preparation and distribution of application and instructions.

Examines and validates submitted applications for accuracy of financial and actuarial data, completeness and other information elements.

Maintain the program database that calculates the state contribution amounts.

Provides technical assistance, guidance, and analysis to local government representatives on the VFP application, statutory requirements and method used to formulate state matching funds for the VFP program.

Assist the formation program coordinator by maintaining a system of records of proposed public entities in a pre-formation state.

Tracks information and contacts from those local governments or petitioners which have provided the division notification of intent to establish one of eighty-five types of local governments or have provided other documentation regarding establishment of a new local government.

Utilizes statutory citations regarding the formation of specific local governments along with both program policy and precedence, to qualify procedural documents and clarify formation program standards to local officials and others.

Position interprets written resources, provides technical guidance of formation procedures, and may advise local officials in order to negotiate and resolve identified document or procedural deficiencies.

Significant or unprecedented irregularities are elevated as applicable to the program coordinator or division management for resolution.

Interpretation and implementation of varied program requirements through document receipt, identification, analysis for program specific processes and policies, and depending on the program area, implementing program guidelines and objectives or forwarding of information to the appropriate program administrator.

Position also provides assistance to local government representatives in their efforts to comply with and navigate technical assistance services and compliance programs within the Division.

Conduct outreach with various local government contacts, including elected board members, attorneys, paralegals, staff and volunteers in order to advise such parties on statutory and program requirements to encourage and ensure accuracy of files, deployment of filing assistance materials, and all other filing activities

Position provides research assistance for several division work units. Position also provides assistance in researching and fulfilling special requests including requests for special district information, budgets and financial analyses and reports.for compliance programs or public accessibility.

Qualifications

Class Code & Classification Description

H4R1XX - Program Assistant I

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Experience Only:

Four (4) years of relevant experience in reviewing documents for compliance and providing technical assistance, including interpreting rules and regulations for customers.

OR

Education and Experience: A combination of related education in business administration, public administration, finance, political science or closely related field (as determined by an HR professional) AND experience as described above, equal to Four (4) years.

Ensure that the 'Work Experience" section of the application is complete and contains all relevant work experience related to the position that you are applying for.

Applicants must upload their unofficial college transcripts that include the student name, college name, courses completed and/or degree with date conferred with this application, in order to receive credit.

Under the Job Application Fairness Act (SB 23-058), applicants may redact information from certifications and transcripts that identify their age, date of birth or dates of attendance from an educational institution.

Required Competencies:

• Ability to create accessible documents and technical content that follows plain language guidelines with accessibility in mind.

• Ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders and provide technical assistance

• Ability to make connections across sectors and organizations to meet goals

• Strong attention to detail

• Effective analytical and problem-solving skills

• Effective verbal and written communication skills

• Ability to prioritize and organize work to accommodate and meet the changing needs of the Department and meet deadlines

• Ability to work independently

• Experience with Google Suite

• Excellent interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications [These are key attributes or the KSAOs that the optimal or exceptional applicant for the position will possess]

• State of Colorado government work experience, reviewing documents for compliance and providing technical assistance

• Additional experience in reviewing documents for compliance and technical assistance

• Experience interpreting rules and regulations

• Experience in project or task management

• Experience supporting multiple programs

• Experience providing technical assistance to clients

• Experience working with databases

• Experience working collaboratively on a team.

Conditions of Employment

• You MUST be a Colorado resident (at the time of application) to apply for this position.

• Pre-employment criminal and financial background checks will be conducted as part of the selection process.

• Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be appointed to this position. DOLA uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. DOLA does not sponsor non-residents of the United States.

MUST have a valid, unrestricted Colorado drivers license with a safe driving record.

A safe driving record requires the following: No convictions within the last seven (7) years for Reckless driving; Vehicular manslaughter; Driving under the influence (DUI); Two (2) or more driving while ability impaired (DWAI) convictions; One (1) conviction related to bodily injury or death to another person as described in C.R.S.

42-4-239. Eluding the police; or Street racing.

• No convictions within the last five (5) years for: Three (3) or more careless driving convictions; or Speeding 20 mph over the speed limit. Two (2) convictions related to distracted driving or use of a mobile electronic device as described in C.R.S. 42-4-239.

• No convictions within the last three (3) years for: Three (3) or more moving violations with a total of more than seven (7) points assessed on the license; or Suspension or revocation of driver license (unless for unpaid child support or other suspension not related to a moving violation).

• No requirement of a breath monitoring device, also known as Interlock, to operate a motor vehicle.

Only complete applications submitted by the closing date for this announcement will be given consideration. Failure to submit properly completed documents by the closing date of this announcement will result in your application being rejected.

Applicants may submit a resume, cover letter/letter of interest detailing how their experience and background address the stated minimum and preferred qualifications/competencies of the job and attach to the online application.

Applications left blank or marked “See Resume” will not be accepted. Please address every requirement for the position with your experience in your application.

The application may include the following documents that MUST be uploaded at the time of application:

• A resume (this is not a substitute for the online application, demonstrating work history)

• Cover letter / letter of interest

• Transcripts (if using education to meet the minimum qualifications)

• DD214 (member-4 form) from applicants that may be eligible for veteran’s preference

Comparative Analysis

Current and former employees (transfers, voluntary demotions, and reinstatements) are required to participate in the comparative analysis process through this job posting.

Applications will be reviewed to determine if you meet the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) for the position. Applicants that meet MQ’s will be included in the Comparative Analysis process.

Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted through a comparative analysis which may include, but is not limited to, a suitability screening, training and experience review, eSkills Assessment, oral assessment, written performance assessment or it may include a review of your application and your responses to any supplemental questions by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to assess and rank applicants.

Be sure your application specifically addresses the requirements as listed in the minimum qualifications.

Address your specialized experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position duties, required competencies and preferred qualifications in order to establish an eligible list for referral to the hiring manager for final consideration.

Additional Information

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

DOLA is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.

As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Melissa Bellew, DOLA ADA Coordinator at melissa.bellew@state.co.us.

Email Address: All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be conducted via email.

Include a working email address on your application; one that is checked often as time sensitive correspondence such as exam information or notification will take place via email.

Please set up your e-mail to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email.

Biweekly Pay: As of July 1, 2023, all DOLA new hires, including transfers of current state employees and reinstatements of former state employees, will be placed on the biweekly pay schedule.

This means you will be paid every other Friday for a total of 26 pay periods over the course of a year.

Biweekly pay is also lag pay, meaning you will be paid two weeks after the end of each pay period. Please click here for more information about the move to biweekly payroll.

Technical Assistance: If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g.

uploading or attaching documents to your online application) please contact NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time).

Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application first, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files, and second, close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.

Appeal Rights: An applicant who has been removed from an employment list or removed from consideration during the selection process may request a review by the State Personnel Director.

As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.

Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative.

This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgment of the Department’s action.

For further information on the Board Rules, you can refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov/board-rules.

For questions related to this job posting, please reach out to Danielle Milone via email at danielle.milone@state.co.us.