ACCOUNTANT I

Accountant I

The Accountant I assigned to the Property Tax Unit is responsible for performing certain official administrative and accounting duties to ensure full compliance with the levy and execution upon properties located within Fulton County boundaries, to collect amounts owed on outstanding judicial foreclosure liens and non-judicial delinquent tax liens that are presented to the Sheriff.

Key responsibilities include:

• Review each lien for facial validity and confirm all statutory pre-sale notices are properly issued to every individual or entity with a recorded interest in the property.
• Prepare and send all pre-sale communications to the lienholder and issue required mailed notices to all parties with a pre-sale record interest.
• Review all title reports submitted by the plaintiff and prepared by the contracted vendor, identifying any potential title issues affecting levy and execution.
• Submit all required advertisements to the county's legal organ for publication in accordance with statutory timelines.
• Manage the public Sale, including minimum bid calculations, bid recording, and oversight of all financial transactions.
• Record and post all payments received before and during the Sale, ensuring accurate financial tracking.
• Reconcile all funds collected, including pre-sale payments, winning bid proceeds, amounts owed to the lienholder, and funds transferred to the County for costs and fees.
• Manage the debt and interest owed to the lienholder and maintain accurate financial records for each lien.
• Prepare all post-sale documents, including Sheriff's Deeds for judicial foreclosure liens, and review Tax Deeds for delinquent tax liens and related vendor-prepared documents.
• Maintain complete files for each lien presented for levy and execution, ensuring compliance with Georgia's record retention schedule.
• Create invoices for pulled or canceled liens and ensure proper financial documentation.
• Maintain detailed property information, including amounts owed, costs incurred by the Sheriff's Office, minimum bid requirements, winning bid amounts, and excess funds.

Work closely with lienholders and the contracted vendor to ensure all statutory requirements are met throughout the levy, execution, and Sale process.

Minimum qualifications include:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or a related field required; supplemented by two years of experience in performing government accounting, accounts payable, procurement, or duties in a closely related financial field; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
• Basic understanding of accounting principles and accounts payable processes.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, Word).
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees, vendors, and external partners.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Proficient in using computer systems and software, including Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Word, Excel), and other database management.
• Ability to learn legal processes and requirements related to Civil Practices, Revenue, and Taxation.
• Basic understanding of legal and accounting terminology.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and document preparation.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills and ethical conduct.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to lift and carry various items required for the Sheriff's Levy Sales, which are conducted on the steps of the courthouse. (Approximately 10–15 lbs.)

Specific knowledge, skills, or abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

The purpose of this classification is to perform accounting duties requiring independent judgment, including reconciling accounts, monitoring account budget status, completing transactional and informational reports, and performing administrative duties.

Essential functions include:

• Posts all deposits and expenses into QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel.
• Posts adjustment entries and reconciles accounts; monitors budget status of accounts; reviews submitted accounting documents; and posts adjustments or forwards errors/misstatements to applicable parties for resolution.
• Reconciles bank statements, balances activity statements, and researches dishonored checks: prints applicable banking statements/reports; researches outstanding items to their full extent; and prepares/sends correspondence and follows up on previous items with applicable parties to resolve outstanding items.
• Interprets court documents and makes appropriate adjustments and entries.
• Researches information for customers and external auditors.
• Processes a variety of documentation associated with department/division operations, within designated timeframes and per established procedures: receives and reviews various documentation, including payroll information, invoices, departmental reports, customer billings, and division specific items; modifies and deletes data entry transactions as necessary; and completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate.
• Prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, and other documentation, including reconciliation reports, reimbursement requests, receipts, and financial analysis; compiles data for further processing or for use in preparation of department reports; and maintains computerized and/or hardcopy records.
• Provides lead direction to accounting or financial support staff as required.
• Maintains a current, comprehensive knowledge and awareness of applicable laws, regulations, principles and practices relating to government accounting, financial reporting and/or grant accounting and administration; maintains professional affiliations; and attends webinars, meetings, workshops, hearings, and training sessions as required; may provide related training and guidance to staff.

Additional functions include:

• Performs other related duties as required.

Necessary special requirements include:

• All applicants must agree to and successfully pass a background investigation, drug screening and polygraph to be considered for employment with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office.

Performance aptitudes include:

• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data using established criteria.
• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to work with and apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others to coordinate programs or activities of a project, and resolve typical problems associated with the responsibilities of the job.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory and/or design data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations with fractions; may include ability to compute discount, interest, and ratios; may include ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to resolve problems.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.

It is the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, genetics, disability or sexual orientation.