South Coast AQMD’s Finance Department stands as a vital hub, serving both internal and external stakeholders. This includes fee payers, internal divisions, employees, and specialized groups like the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, the Building Corporation, and the Health Effects of Air Pollution Foundation. Under the Chief Financial Officer, the department operates through three key units, each with a distinct focus. Together, these units ensure that the Finance team fulfills its diverse responsibilities with precision and efficiency.

The Controller unit ensures the smooth operation of accounting functions, audits, and financial reporting, including the implementation of new accounting standards and payroll management. It also handles accounts payable, oversees state and federal tax reporting, manages revenue posting, and asset management. The Financial Services Unit is responsible for budget preparation and reporting, as well as forecasting and grants management, managing billing services, and providing ad-hoc financial analysis and support to internal teams.

The Procurement Unit is essential for acquiring goods and services, managing contracts, and overseeing proposal and bid solicitations. It is also tasked with handling supplier deliveries and maintaining inventory control, including dispensing and reconciliation of inventory items.

Over the past fiscal year, the Controller unit processed over 16,000 vendor payments for a total of approximately $223 million, posted over 180,000 customer payments of approximately $638 million, and processed biweekly payroll for approximately 850 employees. The Financial Services unit sent out 69,000 invoices of over $117 million in fees and monitored 73 active grants with awards of over $1.85 billion. The Procurement unit issued 2,209 contracts and purchase orders. The total contracts and purchase orders issued were over $85 million.

For over two decades, the Finance Department continues to receive clean audit opinions and has been recognized by the Government of Finance Officers’ Association (GFOA), with three prestigious awards for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Budget Preparation, and the preparation of the Popular Annual Financial Report.