Council to consider appointee for city treasurer Friday

Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer has asked the El Dorado City Council to convene a specially called meeting to fill a vacancy in City Hall.

Council members are scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Friday in the Council Chamber of City Hall.

Smith-Creer asked the council vote on a candidate that she has recommended for the City Treasurer’s position. The payroll/personnel clerk and city collector’s positions are also open.

Both vacancies have been advertised and Friday is the last day to submit resumes to the mayor’s office.

The positions opened up last week when former treasurer Bonnie Wyles and former payroll clerk Cathy McManus were let go, Smith-Creer said. She declined to provide additional details regarding the terminations — which is permitted by the Freedom of Information Act as it pertains to such personnel issues.

The council is expected to address an issue that has arisen regarding the treasurer’s position.

Smith-Creer explained that she elected to transfer City Collector Trena Dean to the treasurer’s office, citing Dean’s extensive background in accounting and finance and familiarization with the city’s accounting software system.

Dean, who came on as city collector upon the retirement of

longtime City Collector Bonnie McWilliams several months ago, has held several executive-level accounting positions with the Art Institute of Houston and Charlotte.

She also previously served as federal funds accountant for the Board of Education for Selma City Schools.

Dean holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Faulkner University in Montgomery and is pursuing a master’s degree in the same subject area from South University in Savannah, Georgia.

“She has an accounting background. She works here. It seemed like the logical choice,” SmithCreer said.

After the city collector and payroll/personnel clerk’s positions were advertised, the mayor said she was made aware of a city ordinance that requires a majority vote from the city council to appoint the city treasurer after the candidate’s qualifications have been duly considered.

The ordinance was adopted in 2004 when the city council agreed to separate the duties of the then-combined city clerk/ treasurer’s position.

The city clerk is an elected position. The treasurer is not an elected city official.

“That’s what I’m asking them to do Friday — vote her into the position,” Smith-Creer said.