City council seeks solution for overwhelmed finance department

The position of City Treasurer / Human Resources Director has been a sticking point this budget season, and the topic flared again during the City of Gladewater’s budget workshop last week.
“I would like to see the finances and human resources split apart,” councilman Milton Anderson said.
“There’s no doubt she needs some help,” council member Stoney Stone replied.
“If we split it, there’s actual fiscal savings on our end when we go to median salaries,” Kevin Clark noted.
“I don’t agree with cutting anybody’s pay in this department,” William Blackmon replied.
Read more about the Sept. 15 budget workshop online and in Thursday’s edition of the Mirror along with coverage of the council’s discussion of the proposed tax rate.
After previously raising Treasurer/HR Director Meghan Davis’ pay when she took on additional duties, “Now we’re splitting the job,” Clark recommended. “Probably more importantly than money, it does divide up the responsibilities… and it gives us control over specific aspects, specific day to day activities.”
Per Davis, cutting her responsibilities and pay as suggested would take her back to 2022 compensation levels when she was hired under the dual job title. In early August, a second employee was reassigned to her department to take on duties in accounts payable and payroll; Davis previously asked for more staff help to cover the workload.
“I’m fine with not bringing on that third person, I just need time to train somebody,” she said.
According to Clark, “We don’t have time for this not working,” he said. “You’re just answering to us. We’re answering to everybody out there. You’re overwhelmed; that’s your words, not mine.
“We’ve got a situation here where we’re looking at raising taxes, raising budget, raising everything up, and we can’t justify it.”
Happening around the meeting’s four-hour mark Sept. 15, the discussion steadily devolved into an accusatory back-and-forth.
“We were just told we were going with the no new revenue rate,” Blackmon said.
“That was a mis-posting,” Clark answered. “That is something that happened. That ship has sailed.”
From Blackmon, “The council has sent out to all of our employees that we have goofed, and y’all don’t get a raise.”
Per Anderson, “That is the cold, hard truth of the matter… So. Let’s just get back to the budget, please.”
Davis ultimately asked for four to six months to get her new employee trained.
“At this point, I’m just trying to please y’all,” she said, hoping to avoid a cut in compensation: “I just ask that mine stays as it is.”
Per Mayor Brandy Flanagan-Shipp, Finance and Human Resources will stay with Davis, accounts payable and payroll with the second employee. There was no further discussion of changes to compensation.
The council aims to re-evaluate the matter in February.