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Mayor: Campbell finance director is on schedule to reconcile books
By Sarah Lehr
CAMPBELL
Faced with criticism from city council, Mayor Nick Phillips says Finance Director Michael Evanson is on schedule to reconcile the city’s books.
Fourth Ward City Councilwoman Juanita Rich and council President George Levendis suggested during a June council meeting that Evanson should be fired over what they described as his failure to keep council informed on the city’s coffers and, specifically, to reconcile the city’s books in a timely fashion.
Most recently, Rich sent a formal letter dated Monday to Evanson requesting bank reconciliation reports from December 2013 to present. Rich requested the reports by Friday.
Rich wrote, “I am concerned because, while you generally inundate Council members with voluminous amounts of paperwork, I have yet to receive from you even one monthly report proving you have completed the bank reconciliations for that month.”
Evanson responded to Rich’s letter Thursday with reconciliation reports from December 2013 to 2015. Missing from Evanson’s response were four moths of reconciliation reports from May to September 2015. Evanson wrote that, though those months have been audited, the records had been misfiled. Evanson then promised Rich he would find those reports and provide them next week.
Evanson also wrote that he is working on reconciliations for January through July 2016 and stated he will provide those to council when it reconvenes Sept. 7 after a two-month summer recess.
Though council must approve the mayor’s finance director appointment, only the mayor has the authority to fire the director, said to Law Director Brian Macala.
After members of council questioned Evanson’s employment in June, Phillips said he would be willing to fire Evanson if Evanson did not become up-to-date on reconciliations by Sept. 7.
Levendis also suggested a Sept. 7 deadline for Evanson.
Phillips said Friday he is confident Evanson will meet the deadline and said Evanson has been busy with other projects.
“I gave him enough time to do what he has to get done,” Phillips said.
“Everything has fallen into place. He does a great job. ... He’s probably one of the best finance directors the city has ever had.”
Evanson, who earns about $42,000 a year without health benefits, became the city’s finance director in 2012 under the administration of then-Mayor William VanSuch.
The city spent 2004 to 2013 under fiscal emergency, as determined by the state auditor.