Editor,
The city treasurer is a part-time, elected position with important responsibilities. I am running so voters, for the first time in 17 years, can determine an appropriate level of duties and compensation.
Elected positions aren’t meant to be lifetime careers nor should challengers be accused of taking someone’s “job.” It also doesn’t serve voters when an incumbent is so entrenched that challengers are harassed at their home.
The facts are this part-time position is costing the city close to $150,000 in 2015 according www.transparencycalifornia.net and will cost close to $160,000 per year in the future with full benefits and full pension. There is no other Orange County city treasurer with these benefits. There are also no tax duties associated with the elected treasurer position and our city is paying a CPA for tasks that should be performed by an accounting clerk.
I have 14 years of operational banking and investing experience and for 18 years I have provided clients with detailed bookkeeping and auditing services. These services are exactly what the real job duties of this position are: banking, investing and auditing. By law, the investing choices are limited to mostly CDs and fixed income securities of which about 20-25 come due each year.
Our city’s generous benefits and full pensions were created to attract and retain quality staff and public safety personnel. They were never meant to be a reward for turning part-time, elected positions into careers at taxpayers’ expense.
Anne McGraw, Laguna Beach
