Marble Falls, Texas Finance Director PositionCast™
Recruiting Marble Falls’ Next Finance Director
Episode Summary
Episode 29 of The Clear Voice features a PositionCast™ conversation focused on the Finance Director opportunity in Marble Falls, Texas. This episode gives candidates a closer look at the role, the city’s financial operations, the leadership expectations, and the unique quality of life offered by a Hill Country community on the Highland Lakes.
In this conversation, James Groom is joined by Kelly Kuenstler, recruiter for the position, and Caleb Krenzel, City Manager of Marble Falls. They discuss the Finance Director role, the structure of the finance department, major capital projects, grant management, organizational culture, staff development, and what candidates should understand before applying.
This opportunity is especially relevant for municipal finance professionals, Finance Directors, Assistant Finance Directors, and public sector leaders interested in serving a well functioning Texas city with strong political stability, major infrastructure projects, and a clear focus on customer service.
Why This Matters for Municipal Finance Leadership
The Finance Director role in Marble Falls is a key leadership position within the city organization. The department is responsible for financial operations, budgeting, accounting, purchasing, utility billing, payroll, reporting, internal controls, transparency, and compliance.
City Manager Caleb Krenzel describes the finance department as primarily internally facing, serving city departments as they manage day to day operations, purchasing, and financial responsibilities. At the same time, the utility billing function creates an important external customer service role for residents and businesses.
For municipal finance candidates, this position offers a broad leadership opportunity. It combines technical financial management, internal service, customer service, staff development, capital planning, grant administration, and strategic support for citywide priorities.
A Hill Country City with Regional Economic Strength
Marble Falls is a city of just under 10,000 residents, but it serves a much larger primary trade area. The community draws people for jobs, shopping, tourism, schools, healthcare, recreation, and everyday services throughout the Highland Lakes region.
Caleb explains that Marble Falls has small town character, but significant daytime activity and regional commerce. The city’s sales tax performance reflects its role as a destination community and economic center for the area.
The community is also shaped by its location in the Texas Hill Country and Highland Lakes region. Outdoor recreation, tourism, downtown activity, lake access, hunting, fishing, and regional quality of life all contribute to what makes Marble Falls attractive for candidates and their families.
Major Projects, Grants, and Capital Planning
One of the defining features of this Finance Director opportunity is the scale and complexity of the city’s current project environment. Marble Falls is managing several major capital and grant funded initiatives that require strong financial oversight and coordination.
The largest project discussed in the episode is the One Water Project, which includes a new wastewater treatment plant on the north side of the city. Caleb describes the project as an approximately $87 million effort supported by a complex capital stack that includes funding from the Texas Water Development Board, the EPA, and other sources.
The city is also already planning future water reuse improvements, including a direct potable reuse component as part of a longer term water strategy. In addition, Marble Falls is managing grants and projects involving parks, fire department equipment, hazard mitigation, generators, bridge work, sidewalks, downtown improvements, a fire station, a possible city hall project, lighting, and sports complex related development.
For candidates with experience in grants, capital improvement planning, infrastructure finance, and municipal project support, this position offers meaningful and challenging work.
Finance Department Structure and Future Assessment
The Finance Director will oversee a small but dedicated team. The department includes five employees, with two direct reports to the Finance Director and additional staff supporting finance operations, utility billing, and related functions.
A major early opportunity for the new Finance Director will be assessing whether the department’s current structure still matches the city’s needs. Caleb notes that the department has roughly the same staffing structure it had a decade ago, even though transaction volume, customer volume, internal complexity, grants, and citywide financial activity have changed significantly.
That does not automatically mean the department needs a major reorganization, but it does mean the next Finance Director should be prepared to evaluate people, processes, procedures, systems, workload, and future needs.
Systems, Processes, and Financial Transparency
Marble Falls currently uses Incode 9 as its primary accounting and ERP system and OpenGov for budgeting. The next Finance Director will need to understand existing systems while also evaluating whether policies, procedures, and processes should be updated or modernized.
Financial transparency is another important expectation. The city wants to communicate better about what it is doing, why it matters, and how financial decisions connect to community priorities.
That requires a Finance Director who can not only manage technical financial work, but also explain information clearly to internal departments, the City Manager, City Council, residents, and other stakeholders.
Staff Development and Organizational Culture
Professional development and internal promotion are important parts of the Marble Falls organizational culture. Caleb describes a strong preference for developing employees, preparing people for future opportunities, and promoting from within when possible.
That philosophy reflects his own path. He served Marble Falls for many years, including seven years as Assistant City Manager, before being promoted to City Manager after the previous City Manager retired. That continuity helped reinforce the organization’s commitment to leadership development and stability.
The next Finance Director will be expected to invest in staff, identify development opportunities, support succession planning, and help employees grow into future responsibilities. For candidates who value mentoring, coaching, and team development, that is an important part of the role.
Council Stability and Community Engagement
Political stability is one of the strengths of this opportunity. Caleb describes a City Council that is strategic, thoughtful, and focused on major initiatives rather than personal agendas or unnecessary conflict.
That stability matters in municipal finance recruitment. Finance Directors need to work in an environment where financial recommendations can be evaluated thoughtfully, budgets can be developed professionally, and long term planning can move forward with confidence.
The next Finance Director will also be expected to engage with council and the community. That includes attending council meetings, being present in community activities, building relationships, and helping tell the city’s financial story more clearly.
Living and Working in Marble Falls, Texas
Marble Falls offers small town charm with regional amenities and significant natural beauty. Located in the Highland Lakes area of the Texas Hill Country, the city offers outdoor recreation, lake access, parks, downtown activity, tourism, and a strong sense of place.
The city also has an active daytime population and regional draw that make it feel larger and more dynamic than its resident population alone might suggest. Marble Falls ISD, downtown investment, tourism, and economic development all contribute to the community’s appeal.
Caleb also notes that housing can be challenging in the Marble Falls area because of demand in the Highland Lakes and Texas Hill Country market. There is no residency requirement for the Finance Director position, and the city is willing to provide reasonable assistance and support as candidates explore relocation options.
What Success Looks Like in the Role
A successful Finance Director in Marble Falls will help the city strengthen financial operations, support major projects, develop staff, improve processes, and increase transparency.
The right candidate will understand municipal budgeting, accounting, utility billing, purchasing, payroll, reporting, internal controls, grant management, and capital planning. But technical knowledge alone will not be enough.
Success will also require patience, good communication, customer service, a positive attitude, and the ability to support internal departments as partners. Caleb emphasizes quality over speed, steady progress, and the value of small wins that build toward larger achievements.
What Candidates Can Learn from This PositionCast™
This PositionCast™ gives candidates a clearer understanding of the Marble Falls Finance Director opportunity than a job posting alone can provide. The episode explains the department, the city’s project load, the community’s character, the City Manager’s leadership style, and the type of finance leader who can succeed in the organization.
For municipal finance professionals considering a Finance Director role in Texas, this episode provides valuable insight into both the technical expectations and the leadership environment. It also shows why fit matters in public sector executive recruitment.
The right candidate will be a strong financial professional, an internal service partner, a staff developer, a clear communicator, and a steady leader who can help Marble Falls continue moving forward.
More Information
For more information about the Finance Director position in Marble Falls, Texas, including job details and application materials, visit the Career Opportunities section at Clear Career Professionals.
About The Clear Voice Podcast
The Clear Voice is a dedicated platform for transparency and expert led dialogue within the professional and public sectors. The show serves as a vital resource for leaders who want to move past surface level discussions and dive into the real world mechanics of governance, management, and organizational growth. James Groom is the host of the program. As the Vice President of Clear Career Professionals and a retired Police Chief, James brings a unique, high stakes perspective to every conversation. His background in public service and executive leadership allows him to extract practical, actionable insights from industry experts that help modern organizations function with total clarity.
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