WESTFIELD–The city is getting closer to having a chief financial officer (CFO) at city hall after Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan submitted a draft ordinance to the city council.
Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan (WNG file photo)
The draft ordinance, which was submitted during yesterday’s city council meeting, was sent to a city council subcommittee for further discussion. Sullivan expects the position to include oversight to several financial departments within the city and will be open to candidates both inside and outside the city once it goes to bid. Sullivan is hopeful that the position, if approved, is filled by January 2018. The CFO position has been discussed since at least November of last year, when The Westfield News reported on the potential position following a retirement of the city’s then-auditor.
“The position will oversee all four financial departments and it will be taking some tasks from current department heads,” Sullivan said. “Some major financial decisions are made at that level.”
According to Sullivan, the CFO would have direct reporting authority to both city council and the mayor’s office. In addition, it would oversee and coordinate with the city’s treasurer-collector, assessor, purchasing and auditing departments.
Sullivan said that the city has been able to create this position through the combination of the treasurer and collector in Westfield, as well as the elimination of positions within some financial departments. In addition, he stated that the city has managed the four financially-based departments better, “so financially, we’re in a good position to do it.”
Thus far, the city council has approved the job description for the position, as well as the salary for a half-year of $50,000, which would tentatively begin in January 2018. According to Sullivan, the significance of the start date would be to have a new CFO within the city in time for the budget of fiscal year 2019.
