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Meet Suzanne Linneen: Chief Financial Officer

Post Date:02/13/2024

Suzanne Linneen uses her many years of experience in financial planning and her attention to detail to ensure Hillsboro community members receive excellent stewardship of the public trust. We asked Suzanne to share what makes her work so meaningful and what inspires her.

Suzanne, tell us more about yourself.

I have been with the City of Hillsboro for over 28 years. I actually started as the City’s auditor for the 1993-94 audit. Looking back, I am not sure how I made it through that audit. It was not pretty. I didn’t think we would ever get the financial statements issued, but we did. In today’s world, technology has made audits a lot more efficient, although still a lot of work.

I was 26 years old and had just moved up here from Los Angeles after working for Deloitte and Touche in Century City, where I got my CPA (a credential for a Certified Public Accountant). I left Deloitte and ran off to spend a ski season in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was awesome! I then traveled a bit and transplanted myself to the Portland area, not knowing anyone.

I knew I was not in Kansas (L.A. anymore) when people didn’t put a “THE” in front of every freeway. “The” 5. “The” 217. I grew up in L.A., primarily in the Hollywood Hills off Laurel Canyon, and went to college at the University of California (UC) Santa Barbara! And, yes, I do miss the Sun and when the sun is shining, I don’t take it for granted like I did growing up. If you have ever watched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, that was my world. We frequented all the restaurants featured, including Casa Vega, Musso and Frank, and El Coyote. Growing up, we used to line up around the block on Hollywood Boulevard to see movies on opening day, like Star Wars and Jaws.

I have lived in Oregon now 29 years, longer than I lived in California. I am married with two kids, my son recently graduated from Sunset High School and is playing football for Linfield University (Go Wildcats!) and my daughter recently graduated from the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) and is working for Deloitte in Portland.

Suzanne family

What inspired you to choose to work for the City of Hillsboro in the Finance Department?

I always appreciate when people have a call to service. I think that is really cool. I can’t say that mine was a calling, it was a job and I needed one, and I thought I would be here a little while and move on. Well, that didn’t happen. What has kept me here is the great people I have known and worked with over the years, the challenges of the job, as there are many, and the responsibility to manage the money and make sure we do so in the best interest of those we serve.

How does your job directly benefit Hillsboro community members?

I am in one of those positions that does more behind-the-scenes work and doesn’t necessarily have daily interactions with the public. I have immense respect for the many employees who work with our community members each day. I think my role and the role of the Finance Department team is that if we are doing our jobs well, you won’t hear a lot about what we do. We are here to support all the direct service departments and be a resource to help them best serve our community.

What is it like to spend a day doing your job?

Every day is so different. I get to work in a lot of different areas from what most would consider traditional finance. From debits and credits, to finding ways to pay and fund operations and capital projects. When someone asks me what I do, it is always hard because it isn’t just one thing. Everything the City does has some kind of financial impact, and depending on what the area is, my role can range widely.

What goals are you focusing on?

We just completed our first biennium budget for Biennial Year (BY) 2023-25. This was quite the undertaking for our Finance Department Team, as well as staff Citywide. I appreciate all the time and effort so many people put in to make this transition as smooth as it was. We have more to learn about how to operate in a biennium environment. We are also focused on working on some structural issues with the long-term sustainability of our General Fund. We are looking on both the revenue and expenditure side of the equation to see where we can provide for more sustainable funding in the future as expenses are outpacing revenues, consistently making budgets harder to balance each year.

As you reach out to community members for input and feedback, what are you hoping to hear?

While I am always hoping to hear that we are doing a good job, most people don’t reach out to tell you they are satisfied. They reach out because they have feedback to share on services, funding or lack of funding, and projects important to them. It takes people time to provide feedback, so we should give their feedback that same time to determine if there is something that we can improve to make theirs or someone else’s experience better the next time they interact with the City.

What are the top questions community members ask you?

What are the cost drivers? What causes costs to go up? What is going on with PERS rates? How does the taxing structure work in Oregon? How are things paid for (from what sources)? What are the limitations on those sources of revenues? What is an unfunded mandate?

Who inspires you?

People who I see work hard and show up physically and mentally in their day-to-day job. I recently watched the documentary Arnold and if you haven’t watched it, sorry to spoil the ending. He also has a book out, which I have not read. But the message basically is to wake up each day and decide to “Be Useful” (of course said in an Austrian accent). That resonates with me.

Suzanne and family

Tell us something people wouldn’t guess about you?

I have always had a deep fear of public speaking, and I know I am not alone. The best advice ever is to get out there and do it… that is the only way to work through that fear. Find a quiet place and practice out loud, it really helps.

Also, I was recently appointed as the employer representative on the State Public Employee Retirement System Board. It has been a very interesting experience thus far. Oregon has the 2^nd most complex pension plan in the nation.

What do you like most about Hillsboro?

Although the City has grown a lot over my tenure, there are still elements of that small town feeling especially in the way I see City employees work with our community. We also have the best parks. My favorite park is probably Orenco Woods Nature Park.