Finance Director-City Treasurer Debate Comes Back Before City Council

The Hercules City Council will vote Tuesday on 13 proposed amendments to the city’s Strategic Plan.

While city staff supports most of the council’s proposals, it opposes some and has received criticism from residents as a result.

Staff is recommending against a proposal to reorganize the city government to require a city treasurer to report directly to the city council. The city’s current setup has a finance director report to the city manager.

The city argues that the amendment would contradict Hercules’ council/manager form of government, which is used in all cities in Contra Costa and Alameda counties (except for Oakland).

In a staff report, the city says the advantages of a council/manager form of government include “ensuring professional management of municipalities by experience and qualified staff…(2) shielding staff from interference by elected officials in the carrying out of staff responsibilities…(3) keeping elected officials separated from the hands-on management of the city’s finances and (4) preventing cronyism in the hiring of employees to serve the community….”

Resident Bill Kelly circulated an email Monday, asking staff to reconsider its recommendation. Kelly said the debate over who the city’s head of finance should report to is about power. “Hercules has had a situation where the power was with the city manager through the last decade, and it has been the will of the city manager (that) has controlled the city’s financial decisions. The results speak for themselves,” Kelly said.

“The Council was/is elected to protect the citizens from having our money spent improperly or imprudently and having the finance director be appointed by and reporting to the council advances that goal,” he said.

Staff also advises against some amendments to language in the strategic plan that refers to the city’s finances. The recommendations have resulted in a Waterfront Watch blog post.