YOUNGSTOWN — Town of Youngstown stayed in-house with the hiring of its deputy finance director, choosing Richard Harvey, who has spent the previous 22 years working for its group improvement company.
“He comes with an unlimited quantity of data and expertise and has a terrific understanding of how we function right here,” Finance Director Kyle Miasek mentioned.
Additionally necessary, Miasek mentioned, is Harvey has used the identical monetary ledger system on the group improvement company that the finance division makes use of, and may be very accustomed to metropolis operations.
Harvey was amongst seven candidates town’s civil service fee deemed certified primarily based on his work expertise and training.
Harvey was ranked first by the fee with Thaddeus “Ted” Szmaj, the water division’s controller and workplace supervisor, ending second.
Harvey and Szmaj had been the one candidates interviewed for the job, Miasek mentioned, and Szmaj determined to take away himself from the method as a result of “it could create an expertise hole within the water division.”
Miasek added: “We felt primarily based on inner candidates we didn’t have to exit additional and meet with the opposite candidates.”
Harvey began working for town’s CDA in November 2000 as a monetary assistant. After incomes a bachelor’s diploma in enterprise administration from Youngstown State College, he was promoted to CDA’s fiscal officer, a job that was beforehand referred to as comptroller.
“The brand new job is a broader attain for me,” Harvey mentioned. “The CDA is in its personal pond, and now I’ll be working with all the different departments. I’ll get to unfold my wings and be extra concerned. The duties are broad, however the focus can be on central buying when it’s put collectively.”
Harvey mentioned he’ll additionally study what Miasek does as a result of “you all the time want somebody to have the ability to step in in case of an emergency or if one thing else occurs.”
Harvey’s annual wage elevated from $55,034 as CDA fiscal officer to $88,534 as deputy finance director.
The job formally has been vacant since March 2021. However the place might simply be thought-about unfilled since January 2018 when Miasek was promoted to interim finance director from deputy director. Miasek served on an interim foundation for greater than three years with no deputy.
Along with dealing with central buying, the job description referred to as for the deputy finance director to help with getting ready and monitoring town funds, to research and evaluate monetary reviews, to observe and help with grants, to create and keep particular tasks and to function a liaison between town and the Regional Revenue Tax Company, which collects town’s 2.75 % revenue tax.
Harvey “goes to study metropolis budgeting, labor negotiations and assist me with my duties,” Miasek mentioned. “He’s going to be an enormous workforce participant.”
Town required eligible candidates for the job to have no less than a bachelor’s diploma in accounting, financing or associated subject and 5 years of labor expertise in public finance, accounting or associated subject, ideally with authorities accounting and budgeting expertise. Licensed public accountants or these with a grasp’s diploma in finance, accounting or associated subject had been “desired,” in line with the job description.
Among the many 5 different candidates who utilized for the job had been two former Canfield officers who resigned somewhat than face self-discipline for violating that metropolis’s code of conduct.
They had been the one two candidates with grasp’s levels. Not one of the candidates had been CPAs.
Wade Calhoun, the previous Canfield metropolis supervisor, resigned his job that paid about $119,000 yearly on Aug. 27, however was on paid administrative depart till Oct. 31.
Kristen Ansevin, Canfield’s ex-assistant deputy director of finance, resigned her place Sept. 7. The job paid $74,200 yearly.
Canfield officers have refused to debate particulars associated to the 2 resignations besides to say they had been administrative and never legal.
