Christina Turner will oversee city’s administrative services team

Published in the February 17 – March 1, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Staff Report

Christina Turner

Christina Turner

The city of Morgan Hill recently hired Christina Turner as its new assistant city manager for administrative services. As a member of the city’s leadership team, Turner will be directly responsible to lead Morgan Hill’s administrative services team which includes finance, human resources, information services, council services and utility billing divisions.

Most recently, Turner has served as the city of Gilroy’s finance director and treasurer, where she was responsible for many functions similar to those she will now oversee in Morgan Hill.

Turner holds a bachelor of science in commerce from Santa Clara University and is a certified public accountant. She also serves as the first vice president for the fiscal officers department of the League of California Cities and is a member of the league’s Revenue and Taxation Committee.
Morgan Hill Life asked Turner about her new position with the city of Morgan Hill and what she hopes to accomplish.

You’re starting March 7 with your new position as assistant city manager for administrative services for Morgan Hill. What duties does your job entail?

I will be overseeing finance, human resources, council services and information technology. Within finance, I will manage utility billing, which includes the processing and collection of invoices for all of Morgan Hill’s residences and businesses. The development and presentation of the operating and capital budgets will also be part of my duties. I worked in many of these areas in Gilroy and am looking forward to using my knowledge and experience in Morgan Hill. I also look forward to serving as a leader for the organization to fulfill the city council’s priorities and advance the organization’s core values

You grew up in the South Bay Area and now live in Gilroy, so you know the region well. What qualities about the community of Morgan Hill do you think attracted you to work for the city?

I grew up in Santa Clara and have spent my life in Santa Clara County. We moved to Gilroy in 2001 and I love South County. My family has been very involved in Morgan Hill, playing sports and participating in music programs. The recreation facilities are great, from the Outdoor Sports Center, to the Downtown Amphitheater to the Centennial Recreation Center. We attend the Taste of Morgan Hill, Mushroom Mardi Gras and the Friday Night Music Series. We enjoy the restaurants, downtown and shopping in Morgan Hill. I love the strong sense of community pride and support and the focus on innovation.

Customer service will be an important part of your job. What is your philosophy of serving customer needs in the various components of your job?

In the public sector, customer satisfaction is of utmost importance and the result of good customer service. As public agencies, we exist to support our residents, businesses and visitors. We are the face of the community. Being courteous, helpful and friendly are necessary skills for teammates in all of our city departments. Customer service means helping residents understand their utility bills; providing tools that make the legislative process more easily understood, engaging the community to understand their needs, wants and desires and addressing their concerns. Delivering excellent customer service helps to build and maintain trust in our local government.

What in your academic and career back ground prepares you for your new role?

I graduated from Santa Clara University and worked for a public accounting firm auditing businesses of all sizes and types. My experience includes auditing start-ups through their initial public offering, Fortune 500 businesses, technology companies and casinos. I became a CPA and then worked for an independent power producer doing Securities Exchange Commission reporting and financial planning and analysis. I started with Gilroy in 2006. During my tenure, we issued bonds for the library, received the Government Finance Officers Association’s Excellence in Financial Reporting Certificate and recently completed a utility rate study and implemented a new fee structure.

You’ll be involved in transitioning the city to a two-year budget cycle. Explain what that means and how it might benefit the city.

We implemented a two-year budget in Gilroy in 2010, which means the adoption of revenues and expenditures for two fiscal years. The budget includes goals and specific objectives that allow the community to see how the city’s resources are spent. Prior to the start of the second year of the budget, we validate the assumptions used to establish the budget to ensure they are still accurate and discuss them with the city council. There are many benefits of implementing a two-year budget. It demonstrates the city’s commitment to provide for systematic long range planning, balance the budget over a longer term, and achieve efficiencies. Additionally, the transition to a two-year budget cycle demonstrates that we are fiscally responsible and good stewards of public resources.