The Bright Side
A new position is being added to the city’s payroll.
Resolution 17-20: Is to transfer additional funding ($26,618) for the new Treasurer/Sr. Financial Analyst position. This is of particular interest, because the elected city treasurer position was abolished 5 years ago, and combined with the city clerk position to save money. We were told by Dennis Jordan, then City Administrator, that the treasurer positions was only a part time position and that it could be combined with the city clerk’s position into a single appointed position of treasurer/city clerk. However, within about a year, it was determined that one person could not handle both jobs, so it was restructured into the two position of treasurer and city clerk. However, the treasurer position was now an appointed position rather than an elected position, which put that position under control of the city administrator, not the voting public. That change is believed to have been the real purpose of the change, not saving money, as the residents had been led to believe.
Today Resolution 17-R20 is adding an additional $26,618 in funding to hire a senior financial analyst, which indicates how bogus the original cost saving measure really was. In one sense, adding an additional person in the accounting department may make sense, because the city auditors have repeatedly pointed out that the city needs to improve its financial traceability and accountability, because all approving and paying of financial transactions was done by only two previous city employees (the city’s previous city administrator Dennis Jordan and the city’s comptroller Peg Pollitt.). It is important to make best use of the millions that the city collects, and to understand the true financial picture of the city from both the day to day running of the city to its future financial needs.
Trained financial planning would be significantly better than having the city council, in late November, still trying to find an extra ¼ million to fund the city for the following year. Even worse were the City of Lake Geneva’s financial discrepancies in 2008 that were so bad the city was unable to complete the city’s 2008 financial audit until January of 2010.
Person of the Week
Genevieve Heyward a wonderfully talented and motivated singer, song writer, and student. She is graduating from Badger High School in a few weeks, and will begin her professional musical career. Genevieve has, however, already produced and released her first album “It’s Not Like Anyone’s Listening.” Go to her Facebook page “Genevieve Heyward” or her website genevieveheyward.com to order this great CD
