At the end of a rather routine Danville City Council meeting Tuesday night (Aug 4th), the 800 pound issue sitting in the corner spoke up once again: the future of the City of Danville Treasurer position. While a decision to increase the elected treasurer’s pay from $65,000 to $90,000 following next springs municipal elections has already been made, the question of “should this be made an appointed position” is far from being solved.
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr mentioned that Alderman Mike O’Kane has suggested that the city bring in an outside attorney for their guidance on the issue. This brought about significant discussion, starting with whether or not the consent decree from Danville’s change in government in the late 80s, which required the treasurer’s position to be elected, has been met; allowing the city to move on and make changes.
The biggest disagreement came from Aldermen and mayoral candidates Tricia Teague and Doug Ahrens. Teague stated that problems with the treasurer position from the past have already been solved, with current treasurer Chris Heeren doing an exceptional job. Teague says making too many changes based upon the past could backfire. She’d rather focus on ways to remove a future elected treasurer, if necessary.
AUDIO: There are many potential solutions to the problem that could be addressed, but they’re being ignored right now. We could leave this as it is, and continue to come up with potential solutions to the problem; without opening ourselves up to up to other problems.
(1st Picture) Former Alderwoman Brenda Brown addresses Council about keeping the treasurer and elected position. (2nd Picture) Aldermen and mayoral candidates Doug Ahrens (R) and Tricia Teague (second from left) express opposite opinions on the treasurer position’s future.
Ahrens countered that the problem has not been solved, but temporarily delayed. And that precautions must be taken to protect the city from any future incompetency that a treasurer not appointed to the job could bring.
AUDIO: History would suggest that there will be frequent turnover, and that those individuals entering it might not have necessarily come from a financial background. And I’m not one for having figurehead political positions, and then hiring full time staff to do the job. That’s not good government.
Agreeing with Ahrens was Alderwoman Sherry Pickering.
AUDIO: I’m worried about it because of what’s happened in the past. Other cities have now went to an appointed position because now the city treasurers have so much more to do, and they need the expertise that by electing we might not get.
Former Alderwoman Brenda Brown was once again in attendance to firmly state that the Council should keep the treasurer an elected position because of the consent decree from the change to an alderman form of government in the 80s. In fact, Brown suggested an orientation/informational session on that consent decree from one of the seven plaintiffs that forced that government change.
AUDIO: And some of these questions tonight that were asked, he would be able to answer these questions. The plaintiff that I’ve asked to come and speak to the Council, do an orientation, do an educational session with the Council; Bashir Ali, he is willing to come. I strongly recommend this.
Meanwhile, debate on aldermen pay continues at a lower volume. Many Council members are expressing desire to keep it as is. Ahrens is asking for aldermen pay to be based on meeting attendance; while Teague also is asking for that, but with an increase in alderman pay to go along with it. Both issues will continue to be discussed in upcoming committee meetings.
