Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Despite a pool of 10 applicants, Shawano County officials might not fill a position vacated by the county’s longtime finance director.
Supervisors instead are considering reassigning the finance director’s duties to existing employees, including Administrative Coordinator Brent Miller.
Supporters say the idea, proposed as a six-month experiment, would save money and would make good use of the county’s staff.
Some supervisors worry about stretching personnel thin at a time when Miller and his staff are busy assembling the county’s annual budget, which totals about $59 million.
Supervisor Robert Krause said county employees work hard already, and he cannot imagine them taking on additional duties without sacrificing attention to some county business.
“The question is, what will they have to give up?” Krause said. “What will suffer?”
The county finance committee recommended the alternative approach on the finance director position. The idea next will be considered by the board’s administrative committee.
The finance director position has been vacant since Diane Rusch retired in May after more than 20 years on the job. Her salary was about $81,000 a year.
The county received 10 applications for the position before officials started having second thoughts about hiring someone.
Supervisor Arlyn Tober, chairman of the finance committee, said reassigning the duties internally would save money while utilizing the county’s talented staff.
“We do have excellent employees,” Tober said. “If we can make it work that way, we’ll do it.”
If the alternative approach is approved, Tober said officials would revisit the issue at the end of the year.
Miller and his staff are scheduled to present a proposed 2016 budget to the County Board in October.
Miller, who became the county’s administrative coordinator in December, said he previously worked as an administrative coordinator who also functioned as finance director in Marquette County. He said he is willing to try the same thing in Shawano County, with help from the county’s accounting supervisor.
“If we’re too overloaded, we’ll just go back,” he said.
Miller’s salary is about $87,000 a year.
It was not immediately clear whether any salaries would be adjusted under the finance director change, or whether the temporary change would require full County Board approval.
Supervisor Kathy Luebke said the proposal was similar to having a part-time administrative coordinator, which was the case in Shawano County until Miller was hired full-time. Luebke questioned whether Miller could handle that job and also the finance director duties.
“That’s a lot of responsibility for one guy,” she said. “You can only divide your time so many ways.”