Pinetop Lakeside council approves new marketing and communications director post, realigns community services duties

Pinetop Lakeside — The Town Council on a unanimous vote approved updated job descriptions that retitle the town’s marketing position to Marketing & Communications Director and realign duties within the Community Services Department.

Interim Town Manager Christy Salsco told the council the change “is not gonna add any new positions to this town” and that the retitled role broadens supervisory and public information responsibilities. Salsco said the marketing role will serve as the town’s public information officer (PIO), lead tourism promotion, manage town social media and websites, and oversee branding, photography and advertising.

The updated community services director role will focus on programs that affect residents’ day-to-day quality of life, Salsco said, including library oversight, cemetery administration and town-sponsored recreation programs. Sports-league responsibilities will remain with Public Works for operational reasons, she added.

Councilors raised questions about how the positions will be funded. Salsco said marketing and communications work is paid from the advertising and special tax fund while core community services duties are covered by the general fund, and that the town tracks crossover time between funds.

The only direct budget impact disclosed was an increase in life-insurance premiums for director-level positions of $25.25 per month (about $303 annually), Salsco said. She also emphasized that the marketing director’s salary range will not change with the title update.

The motion, offered by the vice mayor, approved “the updated community service director job description with the modifications noted and the new title Marketing and Communications Director job description and salary range” to the town’s approved job and salary list. The council voted to adopt the changes unanimously.

Council members said they expect the realignment to sharpen communications while keeping community-facing services centralized. Salsco and Marketing Director Annie Derosha will participate in hiring for the vacant community services director position.

Details not specified in the meeting record: exact salary ranges for the town positions beyond the statement that Annie’s salary is unchanged and the precise timing for filling the vacant community services director post.