Ron Ahlers and family A personable individual and a conservative fiscal manager, Glendale native Ron Ahlers was recently hired by the city to be Moorpark's new finance director.

Ahlers applied for the open position in Moorpark, he said, because he wanted to work for a municipality that is well managed. He's confident that his experience working in Glendale's finance department for more than 18 years will help him navigate through the tough fiscal times ahead.

While federal and state governments play accounting games to pass their budgets, Ahlers said, cities and counties must live within their means because they can't issue debts for day-to-day operations.

All California cities face a slowing economy and an increased demand for services while tax revenues across the nation have declined.

"The biggest unknown is the state now. They just keep on getting worse because in reality they've never dealt with their budget," Ahlers said. He'll soon conduct the city's midyear budget review and present it to the City Council early next year.

Local leaders are confident that Ahlers will do a good job at the helm of the city's finance department.

According to Assistant City Manager Hugh Riley, Ahlers was hired because he's good with data systems, which he can use to maximize efficiency, he has problem-solving abilities, and he's experienced in municipal finances.

He's also a likable individual, Riley said.

"We felt like he would be a very good fit for our staff. He's very personable, a good listener, and he's a team player."

After earning his bachelor's degree in mathematics and master's in business administration at UCLA, Ahlers was hired as a junior accountant by the city of Glendale. He gradually rose through the ranks to the position of assistant director of finance for a town with more than 200,000 residents.

In Glendale, Ahlers handled bond sales, long-range financial planning and budgeting tasks. He also worked on capital projects financing and data systems.

When he's not working with numbers, Ahlers likes to spend his time with Beth, his wife of 19 years, and their six children, visiting a local amusement park, cheering for UCLA sports teams and volunteering at church.

"My family's favorite place to go is Disneyland. We've owned annual passes for over a decade and enjoy the park at least a dozen times a year, sometimes going three times in a month," he said.

Ahlers also learned a great deal about money management while volunteering in his community. He's chair of the board of the nonprofit Glendale City Employees Federal Credit Union, which serves about 3,000 people. Most credit unions, unlike banks, continue to do well despite the economic crisis because they were not forced to grant loans to people who couldn't afford them.

"They stuck with the old lending standards of requiring a down payment on a house, documenting the applicant's income and verifying credit reports. It really is not that hard. The old lending standards have worked for decades, and they still are working," Ahlers said.

He said he doesn't believe in bailouts.

"Companies and people made a commitment; nobody held a gun to their head and made them sign it."