Help wanted: Supervisor, clerk and treasurer. Part time, no benefits. Must win election.
It’s not official yet, but one Springfield Township trustee believes current economic conditions warrant a look at the pros and cons of hiring a township manager and reducing full-time elected officials to part-time status.
At Thursday’s board meeting, Trustee Denny Vallad suggested the township could save roughly $76,000 annually by hiring a full-time manager to handle day-to-day operations, while a part time supervisor, clerk and treasurer could address statutory office requirements and set township policy.
Vallad, a 20-year board veteran, was careful to point out that estimated savings were speculative and could only be determined by gathering information and implementing the plan.
But, he said, even if a switch turned out to be cost-neutral, a change could get the township operating in a more cost-effective manner.
‘The whole thought was to look at this from an efficiency standpoint,? he said. ‘How are we spending money? Are we getting the biggest bang for our buck??
The idea, he said, was developed in a finance committee Vallad proposed last fall to look at ways the township could save money.
In addition to potential savings, Vallad and other members of the board saw additional benefits to hiring a township manager, or superintendent, to oversee operations.
Allowing the possibility of part-time elected officials, for example, would open the race to individuals who are otherwise employed and might not might consider running for a full-time position.
‘Or retired people who don’t want a full-time job,? said Vallad. ‘They have a lot of experience in business, and life in general, at that stage in their life, and certainly the township could benefit from those experiences.?
Vallad said he and other members of the committee were planning to meet with the township supervisor, clerk and treasurer over the coming weeks to determine exactly how statutory, as well as day-to-day responsibilities, are carried out.
‘What I’m trying to find out is how much time they’re spending on these various activities,? he said. If you look at those responsibilities you ask yourself, ‘does that require a full time person??? he said. ‘My impression for any of those three offices is that they do not require 40 hours a week, and the only way you fill up that time is by assigning other activities to those elected officials.?
If the township were to make the switch to a manager-type government, he said, deputies in the clerk and treasurer’s offices would take on more responsibility in the day-to-day work to address requirements of the office.
Vallad’s term, like the other six board members, expires in November.
‘I haven’t completely decided what I’m going to do yet,? he said, noting that ‘under certain circumstances? he would consider running for one of the three part-time positions, although he declined to specify which.
Over the next few weeks, Vallad said, he and other members of the finance committee would gather and assemble information to help the township board through the decision process.
‘I’m hoping to get back to the board for final consideration by February or March,? he said, noting candidate petitions are due in May for the August primary election. ‘This either has to be in place by May or it doesn’t get done for probably another four years.?
Supervisor Collin Walls said he supports the idea.
‘It’s something I’ve looked at personally for several years,? said Walls, who became supervisor in 1976. ‘I feel that it’s time for us to take a look at the option. Ultimately, it may or may not prove beneficial, but we need to look at what’s in the overall best interest of the community.?
Walls, like Vallad, said he believed a switch to a township manager form of government had the potential to improve efficiency, especially by cross training among departments.
‘You’d staff based on the overall needs of all the departments; you’d cross train and you’d share,? said Walls, noting he hadn’t yet decided if he would run for reelection in November. ‘We don’t need to staff a department for peak load when the department next door is also staffed for peak load and those peaks are a different times (of the year).?
Springfield Township Clerk Nancy Strole said she thought the idea had merit, but warned the board not to make assumptions about any savings.
‘It’s an excellent idea, and we should definitely look into it further,? she said at Thursday’s meeting. ‘The time is right for this.?
But, said Strole, state law holds the supervisor, clerk and treasurer responsible for specific functions of his or her office, and simply lopping off responsibilities and assigning them to another individual is not necessarily feasible.
‘I would caution the board to really scratch below the surface and don’t just assume the cost savings are there,? Strole said. ‘Simply by cutting out a full time clerk or treasurer doesn’t necessarily mean the remaining staff is able to absorb all that extra work. There are certain statutory functions the clerk or treasurer would love to be able to spin off, but under the law it’s not possible.?
Stole did note, however, that the clerk or treasurer could delegate responsibilities to others’but was ultimately still responsible for the outcome.
Treasurer Jamie Dubre, who wasn’t at Thursday’s board meeting because of circumstances related to a fire in her home, said she felt stronly against the idea.
‘I don’t think the board has enough information whatsoever to make a huge decision like this in such a short time,? said Dubre, who was elected treasurer in 2002. ‘Personally, I think it’s a bad idea.?
Trying to gather a large amount of information before candidate petitions are due at the clerk’s office in May, she said, could result in costly errors or oversights.
‘We probably wouldn’t save money,? she said. ? It would probably end up costing us money because we made mistakes rushing into something.?
Dubre said she was also uncomfortable with the prospect of a township manager’picked by a vote of the board’handling tasks she, as treasurer, is statutorily responsible for under state law.
‘I’m responsible for all the money, all the funds the township handles,? she said. ‘Every single penny that comes in and out of here is my responsibility.?
In addition, Dubre, who said she believes elected officials were chosen by voters and therefore belong in the office full-time, wanted to approach the matter with a different philosophy.
‘I don’t think (Denny Vallad) really understands what’s going on because the trustees aren’t here very often, and when they are (the offices) are closed,? she said. ‘We’ve been looking at ways to increase revenue, not to cut services. It’s hard, but there are ways; it’s not always about slashing things.?
Dubre said she understood the finance was formed by a group who intended to ‘think outside the box,? but noted she didn’t see the evidence.
‘I don’t think (Denny Vallad) is thinking out of the box,? she said. ‘I think he’s got one box in mind and he’s working that one.?
Visit Springfield Township’s website at www.springfield-twp.us