Officials cut funding, a move treasurer says has forced her to limit office hours
Beginning Jan. 18, the East St. Louis city treasurer’s office will be open to the public from 9 to 11 a.m. due to budget cuts, according to the treasurer, Charlotte R. Moore.
The office’s current hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Moore said Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks, City Manager Daffney Moore and city council members Roy Mosley Sr. and Roy Mickens eliminated three positions from the city treasurer’s budget, bringing her staff of four down to one person.
“What the mayor and city manager have done is prevent the city treasurer’s office from operating according to State of Illinois statutes as it pertains to the treasurer’s duties, with the elimination of the cashier, accountant and and accounting clerk, leaving only one administrative assistant,” Moore said.
The treasurer said one of her main duties, according to state statute, is to receive all of the revenue for the city. Without a cashier Moore said she’s concerned this duty will not be handled properly.
“The treasurer’s department had four full-time employees, a part-time cashier, a seasonal cashier and also receives consultant assistance for the monthly reports. They can be considered overly staffed for their responsibilities,” Daffney Moore said in response.
Daffney Moore said the treasury department “does not process payroll, reconcile bank accounts, process checks or ensure that the city’s financials are accurate. These functions are handled by finance.” She said the finance department and treasury department have to work together.
“(The) treasurer has done many things to disrupt the day-to-day operation of the city, such as not taking any personal or business checks (and) holding or not signing checks for isolated reasons,” Daffney Moore said.
The city manager said she had discuss the treasury office’s hours with Moore as of Thursday afternoon.
Mosley and Mickens could not be reached for comment.
