Monday, Nov. 02, 2009

Fairview aldermen may revive measure to create finance director post

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS -- Aldermen who wish to create a finance department and finance director position in the city are working to tweak an ordinance previously rejected by city leaders in hopes to revive the measure.

Some aldermen said it makes more sense to have a finance director in place before hiring an economic development coordinator to bring businesses to the city. Mayor Gail Mitchell said that he would not support a finance director before the city hires an economic development coordinator.

An ordinance that would have created the position of finance director previously was rejected at an Oct. 6 City Council meeting after the mayor broke a 5-5 aldermanic vote.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Pat Baeske, who voted against the ordinance on Oct. 6, made a motion Oct. 20 to reconsider the measure. Aldermen then voted 8-2 to send the ordinance to the Personnel Committee for discussion.

City officials who attended last week's Personnel Committee meeting were: Mitchell, Baeske, City Administrator Drew Awsumb, Ward 1 aldermen Gil Klein and Norm Miller, Ward 3 Alderwoman Linda Hoppe, Ward 4 Alderwoman Carol Warner and Ward 5 Alderwoman Bonnie Crossley.

Some aldermen at the personnel meeting asked Baeske why she revived the measure.

Baeske said that she would like to discuss the issue further, and asked that the finance director ordinance be amended to include a paragraph that states the city is using its home rule powers.

Aldermen would also like to make sure that the ordinance states that the finance director will be a staff position, and not an elected or appointed position.

Klein, Miller, Hoppe and Crossley previously voted for the finance director position. They asked Warner if she would consider supporting the measure.

Warner said she would support creating the position a year later, which would leave six months to find a finance director before the 2011 election.

Fairview Heights City Treasurer Mark Kupsky's term expires in April 2011.

A finance director and finance department would assume most of the duties currently handled by the city treasurer. The treasurer would coordinate with the finance director to maintain duties required by state law.

"I will not vote for a finance director and a city treasurer at the same time," Warner said. "But I have no problem with saying, if there is a city treasurer mandated by the state, cut the salary to a dollar, so for the next election we know that it's nothing more than an in-name-only position that could be fulfilled by the city clerk."

"If it's possible to not have a city treasurer, as far as I'm concerned; we could pass legislation not to have one," she continued. "But there's no way I'm voting for a finance director while we have a city treasurer. To me, it's a waste of taxpayer money."

Baeske said that it would be too late if the council waited until next year to take action to eliminate the treasurer's position or to cut position's salary.

"I think that we need somebody in there to be able to take care of, such as a CPA (certified public accountant) with the right qualifications, instead of somebody who just happens to get elected," Baeske said. "And that's the way that this city has always operated. That is absolutely the stupidest way to run a city, to run any kind of organization whatsoever. You have to have people who are qualified, who you can really depend on, not that they just throw you some figures and you hope to God they're right. And that's all we have right now and that's all we've been operating with."

Crossley said that a finance director would help the city correct and prevent financial mistakes, and increase the city's financial stability.

Klein, who first introduced the measure, initially said that having a finance director work with the city treasurer would provide checks and balances. He also added that the city has budgeted for such a position for three fiscal years.

In other business:

* Mayor Gail Mitchell is expected to make a motion at Tuesday's City Council meeting to hire Christopher C. Volkman as public works director. The position has been vacant since the City Council voted on May 19 not to reappoint Bob Hotz. Volkman, who is currently the assistant city engineer for the city of Columbia, would begin working for Fairview Heights on Dec. 1.