Berwyn moves to retitle finance role to comptroller; council sends ordinance amending finance code to passage

A discussion on an ordinance amending the city’s codified finance chapters focused on retitling an internal finance post and clarifying procurement procedures. The amendment would change positions in chapter 2‑28 (finance department composition), chapter 2‑28‑05 (contracts and purchases), and chapter 2‑28‑11 (city controller/comptroller). The ordinance was put "on its way to passage" after an 8‑0 roll call vote on concurrence.

Nut graf: City officials described the change as an internal reorganization and not a new hiring action: the proposed ordinance formalizes existing duties, retitles an assistant finance director position to comptroller and updates procurement language; Finance leaders said the move aims to reduce outsourcing and bring accounting and reconciliation duties fully in‑house.

Finance staff explained the rationale and operational impact. The finance office said staff turnover and the recent loss of a longtime financial adviser increased internal workloads. Officials described redistributing duties among existing personnel rather than increasing full‑time equivalents. "We're trying to learn and take on a lot of those things ourself so that we don't have to outsource," said Claudia Hernandez, identified in the meeting as the assistant finance director. Officials said the change will leave the department with one fewer FTE compared with past staffing because some contractor roles will not be refilled.

City staff also addressed procurement and bid thresholds. During the discussion council members asked whether raising thresholds for formal bidding could slow purchases for departments such as public works, which face high material costs. Staff said large, technical purchases for police and fire often use cooperative contracts while public works contracts remain sensitive to material price swings; speakers noted some public works procurement has effectively been operating with higher informal thresholds because of material costs.

Formal action: A motion to "concur with the mayor and approvals" and place the amended ordinance on its way to passage carried by roll call (8 ayes, 0 nays). The clerk recorded each alderman voting aye. The meeting record shows the ordinance will proceed to the legislative passage stage; staff said existing employees will receive revised titles and the salary for the incumbent appointed to the comptroller position will remain unchanged.

Clarifying details included that some duties formerly handled by outside contractors or a departed financial adviser will be reassigned to in‑house staff, and that the change is principally a retitling and reorganization rather than creation of a new paid position. Staff also said the comptroller would assume responsibilities related to year‑end closeouts, buybacks, reconciliations and posting journal entries, while the assistant finance director will continue transactional and reconciliation duties.

Ending: City officials said the ordinance is intended to reduce reliance on contractors, improve timeliness of reconciliations and year‑end closeouts, and better distribute duties across the finance team. The ordinance was advanced by the Committee of the Whole with unanimous concurrence and will return for formal passage in the council’s legislative process.