O’Neill questions need for auditor’s finance director

Nine months after receiving authorization to hire a finance director, Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker has yet to do so. That prompted County Commissioner Pat O’Neill to ask Monday, “Do we really need that person?”

“She said she needed somebody nine months ago, and got permission to hire, but she hasn’t done anything yet,” O’Neill said to his fellow commissioners in a workshop session.

Coker was given the authority to hire a new employee to manage the county’s financial statements and budgeting in July, shortly after commissioners dissolved the four-member finance department.

Coker Tuesday said the position is absolutely necessary, but she has not yet had the opportunity to hire someone to fill the job.

“It’s ridiculous to think we don’t need this position,” she said. “But I’ve been working on an enormous list of things up here.”

In addition to the finance director, Coker asserted Tuesday the need for an assistant finance director in her office.

“The prior finance department had four employees,” she said. “One of those went to the treasurer’s office and one went to the county commissioners. The other two are for the auditor’s office.”

The finance department was restructured with duties meted out to several departments after commissioners O’Neill and Greg Partch voted to fire director Bev Divine in June. The assistant director, Sharron Cunningham, resigned two days later.

Commissioner Michael Largent voted against firing Divine.

“We know we had two people, two high level staff people - and we took one over here,” said Partch. “Now we need that other position up in Eunice’s department.”

Commissioners hired Gary Petrovich to act as the county’s administrative director under their authority last fall.

Coker Tuesday took exception that O’Neill brought up the matter without consulting her.

“Why is that commissioner not talking to me?” she asked in a Gazette interview. She also questioned why she wasn’t invited to Monday’s discussion.

“Was it brought up and discussed legally?” she asked. “And if so, why wasn’t the auditor, the human resources director, someone involved in the positions in the auditor’s office asked to be a part of the discussion?”

O’Neill also questioned the need for a finance director under Coker in light of the recent implementation of the New World accounting system.

“How do we use that framework now that it’s in place?” he asked. “Will New World make it so we might not need that person up there?”

Largent and Petrovich both told O’Neill Monday the position will be critical to processing the county’s finances.

Commissioners are scheduled to meet with Coker next Monday.