Can county afford a budget director?

By Marcia Moore
The Daily Item

June 02, 2009 06:14 am

— SUNBURY -- Northumberland County may not have enough money to hire a full-time budget director, Frank Sawicki, chairman of the county commissioners, said Monday.
However, his colleagues on the board -- Vinny Clausi and Kurt Masser -- say the county cannot afford to operate without a budget director, and administrators are moving ahead with hiring someone for the position.
Sawicki's stance came as a surprise to chief clerk Rose Marquardt, who said Monday that the county is re-advertising the job opening this week after failing to attract candidates with the required governmental and budget experience.
"We need someone with experience because we have a big budget of $85 million to $90 million," she said.
The annual pay is negotiable, Marquardt added.
However, Sawicki, a Democrat, said he's not sure the county can afford a full-time budget director and might have to make do with hiring someone to simply process bills.
Commissioner Vinny Clausi, also a Democrat, and Commissioner Kurt Masser, a Republican, argue the county can't afford doing without a budget director to monitor spending.
"We need someone to clamp down on the spending that's going on," Masser said. "If we don't have a budget director, we won't have any money."
Just a little more than two months ago, the commissioners agreed to establish and fill the budget director position to replace the budget analyst/account post left vacant in March when Leslie Conrad retired from the $32,546 job after nearly 27 years.
The board agreed an expert in finance with governmental experience was needed to assist in developing an annual spending plan, review major purchases and work with department supervisors.
"We did agree to expand (the position), and we were looking into it, but now the issue is whether we have the money to pay for it," Sawicki said.
Despite Sawicki's position, Marquardt said the county is moving forward and advertising the position once again.
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