South Lake Tahoe's Director of Finance Christine Vuletich resigns; hired as Douglas County finance officer

The City of South Lake Tahoe's Director of Finance, Christine Vuletich, has resigned to take a position in Douglas County, where she will serve as the assistant county manager/chief financial officer. Her last day is Feb. 17.
Vuletich, who was hired in October 2004 as the director of finance, has been responsible for the overall operation and oversight of the city's finance department, and has served as primary financial advisor to the city council and city manager.

She praised the work of city employees and said that it was a difficult decision but she is ready for a new challenge. She will also be closer to home because she already lives in Douglas County. The County Manager, Steve Mokrohisky, is pleased to have her on board.

Leaving South Lake Tahoe to serve as the assistant county manager and financial officer will be a "new opportunity and a new challenge for me," she said. "I am really proud of the work we have been able to do here in the city and in the finance department.

"This is a great team and a great group of employees at the city; probably the best team I've ever worked with in public finance in 20 years," she said.

Vuletich leaves after the city weathered a financial storm with the recession. Layoffs across the city have been a part of the reorganization and it has been difficult, she said.

"The city has been able to come through four years of recession. It has probably been the most difficult and challenging four years for any public official, especially if your are in finance, whether it is a public agency or private," she said. "It has been rough. I am hoping we have weathered through the four years of economic downturn and the city is in a good position of moving forward and go into the future," she said, noting that before she came, the city had no reserve funds or savings.

"The City Council has been prudent over the years and have been able to maintain our reserves and still operate," she said. " There's been lots of cuts over time, but I think we are certainly in better financial shape than many cities, so looking toward the future I think it is positive."

In October 2011, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada awarded the City of South Lake Tahoe the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the City's FY 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.