Wednesday, August 29, 2001
The full-time position will be advertised statewide.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A committee of financial experts will be asked for its two-cents worth as the city prepares to hire an income-tax administrator.
Treasurer-elect John Taylor said he'll let the committee make a recommendation on hiring once r & eacute;sum & eacute;s are examined.
Gary Cicero, the city's director of human resources, said he's working on an ad for newspapers and Web sites.
Cicero said his only role in the hiring will be to collect r & eacute;sum & eacute;s.
On the panel: The committee consists of financial experts, with help from Taylor; Treasurer Patricia Leon-Games; and councilmen John Homlitas, D-3rd, and Bob Marchese, D-at-large.
Council president Doug Franklin commissioned the committee to draft a job description.
"That committee is an extension of me," Taylor said. "It will choose the most qualified person based on job description."
Job details: Council voted last week to establish the position, with an annual salary of about $53,000. It also decided to require that candidates have a four-year degree in finance or a related field, with experience preferred, as opposed to a two-year degree -- the committee's original recommendation.
Councilwomen Susan Hartman, D-7th; Helen Rucker, D-6th; and Sherry Cox-Calloway, D-at-large, did not support legislation establishing the position, saying the salary is too high.
Other legislators said pay needs to be competitive to draw the best candidates.
Changes are being made to the city income tax department after a critical state performance audit said collections could be more aggressive.
The full-time tax administrator will handle income tax collections and report to the treasurer, who officials say will deal with investments. Both positions take effect Jan. 1.
Getting acquainted: Although it has made no decision, council has discussed hiring Taylor on a per diem basis so he can get acquainted with the job before Leon-Games leaves office at the end of December.
"I'm not sure what I'm walking into," he said. "I would like the chance to start early."
Leon-Games said she won't turn Taylor away if he comes to her for help.
The treasurer said she thinks some of the job kinks should have been worked out before the May primary so that candidates would know what they were getting into.
The city has not yet outlined who will handle other duties that Leon-Games does.
She said no one has indicated who will make daily deposits from various city departments, who will handle canceled checks and who will attend council meetings and give investment reports.
Council decided earlier this year to cut back hours for the full-time treasurer's post, saying it would be considered part time.
Leon-Games said she thinks Taylor will come to find that his job will be more than part time because of the workload.
Ready to go: Taylor, who works full time as president of Paige & amp; Byrnes Insurance, has said he's ready for the job and thinks he and the tax administrator will work well together.
"I think between the two of us, we'll get the job done," he added.
Taylor said there's no timeline to fill the tax administrator's job.
"Fortunately, we're not under the gun with this thing," he said, explaining that the committee can take its time poring over applications and r & eacute;sum & eacute;s.
davis@vindy.com