Combining office of auditor/treasurer is nixed by board
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 27, 2002
No petition, no special referendum, no combined auditor/treasurer’s office.
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
No petition, no special referendum, no combined auditor/treasurer’s office.
That was the decision of the Mower County Board of Commissioners after hearing input from residents at last week’s informational hearing.
Personnel committee member and commissioner Dave Hillier gave an overview of the comments from the citizens at Tuesday’s board meeting. He said only seven people spoke though 58 people signed the check in sheet.
Hillier believes there were more people in favor of combining the offices but that they did not speak up at the meeting.
"All but one of the seven that spoke said that it was not good timing (combining the treasurer and auditor’s office). They said they are losing the right to vote for one office," he told the board.
Hillier said, contrary to the residents comments that the personnel committee and board had not done its homework, that it had. He also said it wasn’t a "cut a dried decision" as they said.
A special election would cost "in the neighborhood of $25,000, and a one-issue ballot may not receive a large enough turnout to judge what people really want. The personnel committee is recommending to the full board, not to go forward with combining (the two offices)," was Hillier’s motion.
The committee will continue to work toward some of its financial goals, he added, and the board unanimously approved the motion.
Hillier told the Herald that the committee intends to go back to the drawing board to review a better county structure.
"We can still put it on a ballot this fall," commissioner Ray Tucker said.
One of the concerns residents had was if combining the two offices and hiring a financial director would save the county money. When the Herald asked Hillier to respond he said, "The savings may be minimal. There are some costs that will be offset and costs we can reduce."
He explained that by hiring a financial director that person would begin at a lower step and grade on the pay scale. However, he conceded, that would increase over time.
Hillier said a November ballot issue, with a 60-70 percent voter turnout, would probably be a better cross section of voter response to combining the two offices.
The board has made no decision yet about putting the issue on the November ballot.
Call Ailene Dawson at 434-2235 or e-mail her at ailene.dawson@austindailyherald.com.