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Committee refers treasurer qualifications to law department after debate over degree, experience and substitution rules
Summary
Members agreed to ask the law department to draft ordinance language setting minimum qualifications for an appointed city treasurer, including a college degree in a related field plus years of experience or an equivalent substitution for extensive prior municipal treasurer service.
The Ordinance Committee on May 21 voted to refer draft language on minimum qualifications for an appointed city treasurer to the law department for legal form after councilors debated the balance between formal education and practical experience.
The proposed draft requires a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field and three to five years of related work experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. Committee members discussed whether long municipal tenures as an elected treasurer should substitute for a degree; one councilor advocated allowing 10 years of successful municipal treasurer experience to substitute for formal academic qualifications.
Kelly Curran and city legal staff reviewed model language and existing state guidance. An attorney noted the Municipal Modernization Act contains similar language for appointed treasurers in other communities, and committee members asked the law department to prepare a finalized ordinance reflecting either (a) degree plus experience, (b) degree-or-equivalent substitution with a specific municipal-experience carveout, or (c) other acceptable equivalencies.
Councilors asked the law department to draft the ordinance for the committee to consider at a future meeting; the committee will then consider sending recommended language to full council as part of the transition to an appointed treasurer/collector model.
Ending: The committee referred the draft to the city solicitor and scheduled review at the next Ordinance Committee meeting; legal staff will present one or more concrete ordinance drafts for committee consideration.
