Recent Local News
Jeffersonville hires financial adviser
Monica Harmon will eventually become city controller, mayor says
JEFFERSONVILLE —
The city of Jeffersonville has hired a person who is expected to eventually become the city’s controller in 2012.
Monica Harmon has joined Mayor Tom Galligan’s staff as a financial adviser to the city, replacing Bill Mattingly, who formerly held the position. Harmon, a certified public accountant, worked with the Regional Airport Authority of Louisville and is the vice president and controller for Wyandotte Community Corp. Her initial role will be to help put budgets together for the city, Galligan said.
Five people were considered for the position and four were interviewed, but she met all of the qualifications, Galligan said. Harmon will make an annual salary of $65,000, which is the same figure Mattingly made.
As the city transitions to its second-class status, a controller position that is hired by the mayor will be added to the city’s administration. Subsequently, the role of the clerk-treasurer will be dissolved, leaving only an elected city clerk’s position, in accordance with Indiana code.
In a second class city, the controller handles finances, while the clerk handles records-keeping.
Although the transition is a year-and-a-half away with a mayoral election in between, Galligan was confident that Harmon would eventually have the controller’s job with the city.
“She will be the controller,” he said.
The switch will occur in January 2012 and until then Harmon will aid the city in ensuring a smooth transition from a clerk-treasurer to a controller monitoring Jeffersonville’s finances.
“She will do the budgets and everything now so when we go to a second-class city all of the structure will be in place,” Galligan said.
To make that transition, Harmon will have to work closely with Jeffersonville’s Clerk-Treasurer, Peggy Wilder, who has been a source of controversy in the city’s government.
Wilder was elected to her current term in November 2007, is paid more than $65,000 per year and her office was a topic of a recent city council meeting where the council voted against an ordinance that would have granted raises to a number of city employees.
The proposed ordinance would have increased pay for two clerk-treasurer’s office employees, Suzy Bass and Barbara Hollis, by about a $5,000 for each. The raises had even been mentioned as a way of compensating the pair for extra work they have done in the absence of Wilder.
It has been alleged that Wilder — who also has been the subject of two recent legal battles — routinely does not show up for work.
As a result of her legal issues, Wilder was sentenced to community service in a case where she was charged for theft in Kentucky for trading in a vehicle for which she didn’t produce a proper title. She also pleaded — but no final ruling has been issued — to a conversion charge, a class A misdemeanor, for allegedly using city credit cards for personal purchases.
While city council members said at a recent meeting the clerk-treasurer’s office needs to be evaluated, there is little action the council could take to remove Wilder. Neither the council nor the mayor have the direct authority to remove another elected official from office.
“[She] is elected by the people,” said Councilman Mike Smith. “I feel I don’t have much of an impact. Our hands are tied.”
Smith said he was not that familiar with the controller’s job description and how it might affect the clerk-treasurer’s office. He did say that the financial adviser fell within the salary structure for the position and did not need to be approved by the council.
The affect of installing a new financial adviser is also not immediately clear to the clerk-treasurer’s office, but it was promised that there would be no conflict.
“We worked with [Mattingly] and we’ll continue to work with the mayor and any of his department heads,” Bass said. “We’ve always had a good working relationship.”
Wilder, who was contacted at her office Friday afternoon, agreed.
“We’ll work with anyone in the mayor’s office,” she said.
Wilder said she was not sure of exactly how Harmon will interact with her office, but that Harmon will likely act as a financial go-between within city administration.
- Recent Local News
-
-
IUS announces enrollment figures, goals during annual chancellor's address
During the annual State of the Campus address Thursday afternoon, Chancellor Sandra Patterson-Randles told the audience that filled the Stem Concert Hall at the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center that the campus set a new record this fall with 7,178 students, which is an increase of 4.9 percentage points from 2009.
-
Jeffersonville residents challenge IDEM on Mac plant
Questions and concerns gushed Thursday night from an audience upset with the living conditions in their neighborhood brought on by odor, soot and dust they attribute to the nearby Mac Construction and Excavating asphalt plant.
-
Bridges Authority adopts strategy as deadline approaches
The Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority adopted strategic objectives at its public meeting in Jeffersonville on Thursday while rejecting calls to alter the Ohio River Bridges Project to avoid possible tolling.
-
Messer served suspension from New Albany Police Department for running tags for private property owner
New Albany City Councilman and police officer Jack Messer served a one-day suspension from work after an internal investigation showed he violated the department’s policy for revealing information, records obtained by The Tribune this week substantiated.
-
Despite salaries remaining stagnant, New Albany City Council votes down 2011 pay
Aside from the one percent longevity pay increases given to some public safety workers, the salaries requested by the administration for the New Albany City Council to set for 2011 were the same as the past three years.
-
Ex-employee of Sportsdrome charged in beer-theft scheme at track
A Memphis woman has been charged with class D felony theft in an alleged scam to defraud Sportsdrome Speedway in Clarksville out of more than $20,000 in beer sales.
-
$47.5 million in marijuana plants eradicated by ISP
Within about a week, Indiana State Police eradicated approximately 19,000 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $47.5 million across the state.
-
Setting out for a stroll
-
Moving on: Students, teachers get used to new schools at NA-FC
“You have to get to know people. You have to learn all these new names. It’s kind of scary at first. You don’t know them and they don’t know you.”
-
Zombie flick to be shot in downtown New Albany Sept. 19
The extras will be needed from 2 to 4 p.m. as filming winds down.
-
Burglary suspect leads police on chase
Crotchett said he knows the owner of the house, so he called him to ask if anyone should be there.
-
Straight ‘A’ educator: St. Anthony teacher makes top 10 list
She also wrote about how teaching is more than a career. It’s a vocation.
-
Questions arise over fairness of New Albany’s insurance replacement plan
Officials are hopeful that 75 percent of city workers will sign-up for an HSA plan for 2011 and 85 percent in 2012 as a way to balance the general fund which has been in the negative since 2003.
-
Facelift planned for part of Market Street in Jeffersonville
Crouch said the entire road is being redone from sidewalk to sidewalk and local traffic can use rear-alley to access their homes.
-
Trial begins in suit against police
McCall said Baker immediately stopped once sprayed, but officers still allegedly slammed him to the ground resulting in the head trauma.
- More Recent Local News Headlines
-
