Director of Finance - City of Paducah, Kentucky

Director of Finance

The City of Paducah, KY (26,300) - The City of Paducah is seeking skilled and experienced applicants for the position of Director of Finance. The current Director recently retired after serving in the position for 34 years.

Paducah is a home-rule class city and is the county seat of McCracken County in western Kentucky. The City lies along the banks of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. The rivers have had a profound impact on the historical development of Paducah, and they continue to be a prominent source of commerce, transportation, and recreation for the region. Today, Paducah is known as a beautiful, friendly, and inspiring community. It serves as a regional center for commerce, education, health care, and culture in western Kentucky.

Paducah offers its residents and visitors an abundance of arts and cultural amenities, a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities, a plethora of historic sites, and a robust and thriving business climate. You can literally find anything you want in Paducah. Its small-town friendliness and charm belie its vibrant and growing array of retail, restaurant, and entertainment offerings.

Paduch's historic and quaint downtown district symbolizes the community's success in leveraging its rich social and architectural history with an exciting commercial district replete with restaurants, specialty shops, and cultural experiences. Downtown Paducah has been consistently recognized as one of America's most attractive and enticing downtown districts by notable publications such as Architectural Digest and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Paducah operates under the City Manager Plan form of government. The City is governed by a five (5) member Board of Commissioners consisting of the Mayor and four Commissioners, all of whom are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis. The Mayor is elected to a four-year term, while the other Commission Members are elected to two-year terms.

The Board of Commissioners appoints a professional City Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the municipality. All Department Directors, including the Finance Director, report directly to the City Manager.

The City of Paducah has approximately 355 FTE's and total annual expenditures of $137 million in FY25 / 26. The City's current General Fund budget is $96.9 million. Paducah is considered a full-service municipality and consists of the following operating departments : Administration, City Clerk, Customer Experience, Engineering, Finance, Fire, Human Resources, Planning, Police, Public Works, and Technology.

The Paducah Finance Department consists of 12 full-time employees, including the Director. The Department has an annual operating budget of $1.61 million. In 2025, the Department was awarded its 34th consecutive GFOA Excellence in Finance Reporting Award for the FY2024 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

The Department's Mission is to serve the public to the best of our ability, to make sound fiscal decisions, to maintain accurate and timely accounting records, to provide information and support, and to accomplish our goals with a sense of pride and a spirit of cooperation.

The Finance Department consists of three divisions : Administration, Accounting & Budget, and Revenue.

The Administration Division oversees the general operation, which includes budget preparation, accounting / payroll, debt management, budget monitoring, revenue collection, business license / payroll taxes, cash / investments management, and technical assistance to other City departments, governmental agencies, and outside agencies.

The Accounting and Budget Division is responsible for preparing financial reports, including monthly financial statements, the annual budget, and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. This division processes bi-weekly payroll for all employees and prepares all manner of payroll-related reports, along with processing all purchase requisitions entered by departments.

The Revenue Division is responsible for the billing and collection of property tax bills, business licenses, payroll taxes, municipal insurance premium taxes, and all other miscellaneous revenue received from all sources. This division works closely with other departments for business licensing compliance and coordinates with the legal staff to collect delinquent accounts.

Position Qualifications

All applicants for the position should have a minimum of 10 years of responsible financial management experience, preferably in a public sector environment. All applicants should have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or some other relevant field of study. A master's degree in accounting or financial management is highly desirable, as is a CPA certification.

Compensation and How to Apply

The starting salary range for this position is $113,900 to $145,300 DOQ / E. The City provides its non-union employees with both a cost-of-living salary increase and a meritorious salary adjustment each year. In addition to the excellent salary, the City of Paducah will provide the selected candidate with an outstanding package of fringe benefits. Apply online with a resume, cover letter, and contact information for five (5) work-related references by September 16, 2025.

The City of Paducah is an Equal Opportunity Employer