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A Williamsport councilwoman also serving as council vice president expressed concerns going into the budget talks specifically on the growing cost to operate the fully-staffed finance department working in the second floor of the Trade and Transit I building.
Councilwoman Bonnie Katz asked Mayor Derek Slaughter to be mindful of the increased expense in personnel, which is at $221,000 a year, not accounting for a part-time worker, while Slaughter responded by saying council wanted to see the office fully staffed and the city needed to attract and retain employees who were qualified and pay them salaries and provide benefits that were commensurate with the going rate in similar sized third-class cities.
The discussion was not a clash but rather expressions of concern from Katz and responses by the mayor about the need for hiring qualified individuals as requested by council since he became mayor in 2020.
Katz noted how finance consultant Tracey Rash of Government Finance Solutions was being paid $150 an hour and if she worked for eight hours that would be $1,200. Meanwhile, the city director of finance, Heather Jacoby, is paid $95,000 while there are remaining costs for two other full-time employees in the office that amounted to the $221,000 personnel costs on the payroll.
Additionally, Katz asked Slaughter that if Jacoby was hired as director of finance, she should be more involved in the upcoming proposed budget.
“It seemed like Rash was doing all of the budget to this point,” Katz said. When Jacoby was introduced to council, Katz said she asked her specifically if she was going to be doing the budget. “She seems to not be part of this budget,” Katz said, prompting Slaughter to respond.
“She is part of it,” he said, adding that obviously this is Heather’s first go-round but she and Tracey are working together on the proposed budget.
“She is actively involved,” he said. “She is working through the whole process, side-by-side with Tracey.”
Katz listened but continued to urge the mayor to be cautious about the department expense.
“We have to be careful,” Katz said, noting the combined office personnel budget is $221,000 and that does not include the part-time worker. She added how the city was challenged to pay for its bills as is and how the office was formerly operating with two employees and also managing River Valley Transit finances, which is now a separate economy.
“I am concerned about how many people are working in the office at this point,” she said.
Slaughter also noted how Rash, a third party contractor, will be leaving, and reiterated how it was council that asked the administration to ensure the office/department, which once was woefully understaffed, be appropriately staffed.