Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
The city will begin advertising soon for a newly created finance director post to be shared by Shawano Municipal Utilities and City Hall, and will also consider a new accounting position if the 2018 budget can support it.
City officials at a special Common Council meeting Monday gave authorization to advertise for the finance director, and approved the concept of hiring an accounting supervisor whose duties would also be split between SMU and the city.
City Administrator Brian Knapp said the fate of the proposed accounting post, which would “be hired under the SMU umbrella and then shared with the city,” won’t be known until the budget is finalized in October.
The finance director would initially work with and under SMU finance manager Nancy Schauer, who is planning to retire early next year, according to Knapp, before assuming those duties and taking on some of the financial duties at City Hall, including a leading role in budget development and preparation.
The accounting position would be more of a supporting role, primarily assigned to SMU but also assisting in city finances.
Knapp, who splits his time between being city administrator and SMU’s general manager, said it was always envisioned that an additional finance post would be needed to offset some of the financial responsibilities being handled by his office and the city clerk/treasurer.
City finance right now is handled by one accountant, with assistance from other city staff, but there is no backup for that post and no financial manager.
“The intent is to try, as economically as possible, to provide for financial management at the same level as SMU,” Knapp said.
The current arrangement has not caused any serious problems, according to Knapp.
“We’re not going to let something break,” he said.
It has caused delays of such things as meeting reporting requirements for the city’s Tax Incremental Finance districts and debt service.
Knapp said he often spends weekends preparing that kind of information because it can’t be completed during his regular weekday hours.
The finance director position will be advertised at a salary range of $75,000 to $85,000, and will fall under the SMU budget.
The accountant post’s proposed salary has not been determined, but Knapp said it would likely range from $55,000 to $65,000.
Also to be determined, likely during the fall budgeting process, is how much of that salary would be paid by the city and how much by SMU.