Wenham Needs In-House Finance Director, Former Director Tells Selectmen

The former Wenham Finance Director told the Wenham Board of Selectmen on Tuesday that the town needs a full-time, in-house finance director at Wenham Town Hall.

The comments came from Sarah Johnson, who lives in Wenham but works as the finance director in Weston.

She was Wenham's finance director for five years until leaving for the Weston job in 2010.

"You wouldn't be in the position you are in now with the work backed up," Johnson told Selectmen, according to a tape of the meeting posted to the HWCam website.

Johnson said she has sent her opinion to the board via e-mails.

The town had contracted with Baystate Municipal Services to get the fiscal 2014 budget prepared in advance on Saturday's Annual Town Meeting. The town plans to hire an outside firm to head the finance department through the end of the fiscal year. On Tuesday, Baystate was hired to continue the work through June 15 at a charge of $21,000.

"You really need an in-house finance director in there," she said. "You need someone full-time, hand-on."

Johnson said that the town should have a full-time finance director at Town Hall, rather than contracting with an outside company that spend some time at Town Hall and completes some work off-site.

Interim Town Administrator Mark Andrews said that there are 15-30 municipal finance positions advertised by the Massachusetts Municipal Association and there is great demand for people to fill similar positions.

"Too many communities are chasing...qualified individuals to apply for positions," Andrews said.

The full-time finance director position has been vacant since last December when Paula Bartlett resigned. Before that, Nichole Hagstrom serves as finance director after Johnson left.