Yakima City Manager Vicki Baker has announced Craig Warner will be the City’s new finance and budget director. Warner replaces Viren Mayani, who left the City earlier this year. Since Mayani\u2019s departure, Mike Bailey, a retired government finance expert, has been serving as interim finance and budget director for the City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Warner\u2019s first day as City of Yakima finance and budget director is today, Wednesday, April 16th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warner\u2019s name is familiar in local government in the Yakima Valley. He retired in January from his position as Yakima County financial services\/ budget director after having worked for the County for 37 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Craig is a well-known and highly respected leader in local government finance here in our area and throughout Washington State,” said Baker. \u201cHe has a wealth of experience and expertise and broad familiarity with local government financial processes and law. The City is fortunate to be able to benefit from Craig\u2019s decades-long career in public service and his ongoing commitment to the Yakima Valley,\u201d said Baker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter retiring from Yakima County earlier this year, I knew I wanted to continue to work and initially explored private-sector opportunities,\u201d said Warner. \u201cThe chance to put my skills to work at the City presented itself and I\u2019m looking forward to being part of the City\u2019s senior management team. Yakima is my home and I\u2019m excited to help it be successful,\u201d said Warner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Warner was hired by Yakima County in 1987 as a financial analyst\/accountant. In 1993, he was promoted to the position of chief financial officer overseeing payroll, accounts payable, the Financial Reporting Department, and other fiscal functions of the County. In 2001, Warner was again promoted, this time to the financial services\/budget director position, and had responsibility for a wide range of programs and services including developing the County\u2019s annual budget, strategic planning, polices and procedures, and determining functions and service levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warner graduated from West Valley High School in 1982. He earned an associate of arts degree in accounting from Yakima Valley College (then Yakima Valley Community College) in 1984. Warner holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Central Washington University, where he graduated from in 1986.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warner is a member of the Washington County Administrators Association and served as the organization\u2019s president from 2006 to 2007.\u00a0 He also served as president of the Washington Finance Officers Association from 2018 to 2020 and remains a member of the organization today.\u00a0 Warner has also been a member of the Governmental Finance Officers Association, a national organization focused on local government finance, since 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Yakima\u2019s finance and budget director, Warner will oversee a staff of about 35 employees in the Financial Services, Purchasing, and Utility Services divisions.\u00a0 The total budget for the City’s Finance and Budget Department in 2025 is about $5 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n