Riley County health director asks commission to place fiscal analyst under county finance while remaining in health department

Diane Creek, Riley County health department director, asked the commission on Jan. 30 for approval to advertise and refill a fiscal analyst position and proposed placing the position administratively under the county finance director while the analyst would continue to work from the health department.

"This position really needs to be underneath somebody who's trained in finances," Creek said, citing the department's large, complex mix of grants, federal and state funding streams and personnel costs. She told commissioners the job description had not been updated since 1996 and that human resources had helped modernize the role.

Creek said the analyst must stay physically at the health department to support daily operations and supervisors there, but that placing the position under the finance office would provide consistent oversight, policy compliance and expertise in grants accounting. She said Brittany (county finance staff) reviewed the concept and supported it.

Commissioners and staff discussed supervision, checks and balances and who would sign off on allowable grant expenditures. Creek emphasized she would remain engaged with the position if the commission agreed to the administrative change: "Even if Britney manages this fiscal analyst position, I will not be disengaged at all," she said.

No formal vote was taken. Commissioners asked staff to return with the advertised job posting (the "yellow sheet") so the board could consider the vacancy formally at a future meeting. Creek and staff said they would work with human resources and the finance office to finalize a posting and bring back the advertisement and any related materials for the board’s action.