Holyoke councilors interviewed Katherine Jackowski and Zaida Marsh for the job of tax collector and Carolyn Thomas-Davis, Harry Chadwick and Willie Morales for the job of city auditor.
HOLYOKE -- The City Council April 5 will appoint a city auditor from among three candidates who were interviewed in public session Thursday and a tax collector from two interviewed for that job.
Candidates told councilors about their knowledge of doing payrolls, ensuring cash received is banked that day, maneuvering the intricacies of the state retirement system and managing relations with members of the City Council, which appoints them, and the mayor, who supervises them day to day.
The yearly salary advertised for the tax collector was $44,180-$56,995-$67,379. The city auditor salary was listed as "commensurate with experience," Personnel Director Robert Judge said.
The yearly salary for city auditor as listed in the city budget is $71,746 and the yearly salary for tax collector in the budget is $61,270.
For tax collector, the City Council Public Service Committee at City Hall interviewed Katherine Jackowski of Holyoke, acting Holyoke tax collector, and Zaida E. Marsh of Chicopee, corporate accounting associate with Oncore Manufacturing in Springfield.
For city auditor, the committee interviewed Carolyn Thomas-Davis of Springfield, consultant with Reliable Bookkeeping and Consulting; Harry Chadwick of Hadley, chief auditor with the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC); and Willie Morales, city manager of Hudson, Iowa.
Brian G. Smith, who had been city auditor for 25 years, retired in 2014. Bellamy H. Schmidt has been acting auditor.
David Guzman resigned as Holyoke tax collector in January after about five years.
The Public Service Committee led the interviews, with other councilors in attendance also questioning candidates.
Here are highlights from the interviews:
Jackowski:
She worked in the city treasurer's office for five years, was assistant treasurer and also briefly was acting city auditor, she said.
After Guzman left and the role of acting tax collector became available, she volunteered for that and has embraced the job, she said.
"I just found that I really enjoy the work that I've been taking on and doing in that role, so I was interested in applying for the permanent position because I think I've created a solid working environment ...," Jackowski said.
The recent relocation of the tax collector's officer from the second floor in City Hall to the first, adjacent to the city treasurer's office, she said, "I think it's been well-received."
Committee member Jossie M. Valentin asked Jackowski why she applied for the tax collector job over city auditor, given that she has experience with both.
Jackowski enjoyed the auditor work, she said, but "It was a lot more to take on than I had anticipated."
Valentin said people often see contact with the tax collector as unwelcome. She asked Jackowski how she views the office as a welcoming place for the public.
"You have to just listen to people who come in....You have to create an office that is considerate," Jackowski said.
The "lock box" system of accounting in the office has been established and works well, she said. "Lock box" is a system in which bills are sent to a separate entity for processing.
The system was a source of dispute between Guzman and Mayor Alex B. Morse. Guzman said the office would have functioned better had the mayor filled a head clerk position. Morse said the lock box system, which other departments use, would help the city save money because it would cost half of the head clerk's salary while letting the city either cut that position or shift that job to another city department.
Councilor at Large Peter R. Tallman asked if the tax collector's office has enough employees. With the collector, the staff totals three.
Jackowski said yes, that the lock box system has freed up some employee time and a staffer who floats between departments also shares the workload.
"It's been working out just fine," Jackowski said.
Committee member Daniel B. Bresnahan asked Jackowski about the Guzman-Morse clash and the prospect of being a City Council appointee supervised by the mayor.
"Absolutely," Jackowski said. "I completely understand it's a council appointment. You guys are in charge....I'm not going to do anything that's not beneficial to the city."
City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said Guzman was well regarded but felt the office would function better with another employee instead of the lock-box system. He asked what Jackowski was seeing that Guzman was not.
The floater has been a big help in dealing with bills and other kinds of mail, she said.
Asked about security protocols, given that the tax collector's new basement location is adjacent to a City Hall exit, Jackowski said at least two employees always staff the office at a time.
The office deals with about $10,000 a day, she said, to a question from Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon. Each employee has only a small amount of cash in a locked drawer at the counter in dealing with the public, with the bulk of the money transacted in the office kept in a safe. The money is brought daily to PeoplesBank nearby on High Street, she said.
Committee member Howard B. Greaney Jr. complimented Jackowski. He phoned the tax collector's office to ask why his vehicle excise tax bill was the same amount as the previous year. The answer was the bill stays the same after the fifth year.
"I was given a very courteous response ...," Greaney said.
Among improvements she is pursuing is a discussion with the Department of Public Works about updating the parking ticketing system, Jackowski said.
Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin asked Jackowski if she considered herself a self-starter.
She is, Jackowski said, noting she dove into learning the MUNIS accounting system and is now the city's liaison on that system.
"You did an excellent job," committee Chairman James M. Leahy said. "Thank you very much. We'll be talking to you."
Marsh:
"I have 15-plus years of experience in the accounting field ....I bring nothing but professionalism, skills, as far as accounting goes," Marsh said.
Leahy asked what she would do to improve the office.
Marsh said that in her current job, the manager sometimes makes announcements without all employees present. That shows a need to improve communication, she said.
"Communication to me is very important and I think that a lot of people take it for granted," Marsh said.
She has experience in municipal government, having worked as assistant to the police chief in South Hadley from 2002 to 2007, with duties that included payroll, according to Marsh's comments and her resume.
The experience with the South Hadley Police Department exposed her to occasional contact with angry people, she said.
"So I had to learn to deal with unhappy people, angry people....So I can say I'm professional about it thanks to that job," Marsh said.
Ward 2 Councilor Nelson R. Roman asked Marsh why she applied for tax collector.
When she saw the position,she said, it excited her. She grew up in Holyoke, she said.
"I love the culture of, still, my city...I have the people skills," she said.
She has two semesters of work before she gets a bachelor's in business from Westfield State University, she said.
The job has a residency requirement, Leahy said. Would Marsh be willing to move here?
She replied that she would become a Holyoke resident.
To a question from McGiverin about handling money, Marsh said she, of course, would ensure that daily trips to the bank are taken and that the safe is locked at all times. She would limit to two the number of employees allowed access to the safe, she said.
"I don't like multiple hands in the pot," Marsh said.
Her current employer, Oncore Manufacturing, makes electrical circuit boards for missiles, medical equipment and "Amber Alert" signs on highways, she said.
Leahy concluded by asking Marsh if she had any questions. Laughter erupted when she asked, what's a day at Holyoke City Hall like?
"It's definitely a busy day, dealing with constituents and at the end of the day, making sure the constituents are happy," Leahy said.
Thomas-Davis:
She has municipal experience, having worked as deputy finance director of the town of West Warwick, Rhode Island from October 2011 to May 2013 and with the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island from August 2006 to October 2008, she said.
Of her experience in government, Thomas-Davis said she tells people, "I did not choose it, it chose me."
"...I come bringing not only the theoretical knowledge, but hands-on experience." she said.
Valentin asked what the biggest work challenges Thomas-Davis had faced.
Thomas-Davis said she gained opposite kinds of experience in Rhode Island that was valuable. In Portsmouth, the town had a top financial bond rating, so that involved maintaining, she said.
West Warwick had such severe financial problems, the job entailed doing everything to avoid a sinking ship, she said.
McGiverin said that the auditor, appointed by the City Council, is a very important position. Occasionally, the mayor and City Council disagree, he said.
"How would you handle that?" McGiverin said.
"It would be my duty to share any information with any city councilor," Thomas-Davis said.
As an accountant, she has a duty to maintain a high level of reliability and accuracy. She needs to know her office is making high-quality decisions because she is responsible for those decisions, she said.
"At the end of the day, we're working collectively together toward the same goal," Thomas-Davis said.
Asked about possible weaknesses her detractors might cite, Thomas-Davis said she can be someone who is not easily swayed.
Sometimes in such jobs, information gets produced that people might not favor, she said.
"But we have to take the time to try to explain...I don't like people to be not satisfied with what I gave them," Thomas-Davis said.
Tallman thanked Thomas-Davis for applying for "this very, very important position." Tallman asked her to cite her strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths: "Policies and procedures and dealing with management I believe to be my strength," she said.
Weaknesses: An inability to say no, which can result in getting overwhelmed with commitments and realizing a need to stay focused on priorities, she said.
Tallman asked about the residency rule, with Thomas-Davis living in Springfield. She would have no problem moving here, she said.
Thomas-Davis asked if the city was looking to replace someone with the stewardship and stellar reputation of the previous auditor (she didn't identify whether she was referring to Brian Smith or Bellamy Schmidt) or is seeking a new approach.
Leahy said the City Council has 15 members and that question would net 15 different opinions.
"I want the best for the city of Holyoke," Leahy said.
Chadwick:
Chadwick said he would bring 26 years of experience in Massachusetts government to the job of city auditor. That has consisted of being chief auditor with PERAC since January 2008 and being Hampshire County treasurer and chairman of the county retirement board from 1990 to1997, he said.
His current job requires that he work in Boston three days a week. He has been able to say overnight with a relative in Melrose but that arrangement changed in 2015, he said, a factor that helped lead him to interest in the Holyoke auditor job.
"It's time for me to come back home," Chadwick said.
Jourdain asked him to expand on his PERAC duties.
When offered the job in 2008, Chadwick said he knew it would be a challenge going from a staff member to the staff manager. But the office had quality staff, he said.
"I think I've been a very good supervisor ..." Chadwick said.
The year 2015 was a challenging one for his PERAC division as it lost most of its workforce and had to rebuild, he said.
"It was a challenge....certainly we got behind," Chadwick said.
Jourdain asked how familiar Chadwick was with Holyoke's financial situation and its unfunded liability.
(That's the liability facing the city -- $365 million -- if all pension costs for retirees and existing employees had to be paid today. That figure is as of two years ago. Existing assets in the system reduce that liability to about $153 million. The funding schedule calls for that to be paid off at the current yearly rate of payment, which has been about $17 million a year including city and employee contributions, by 2032. That's according to Cheryl Dugre, executive director of the Holyoke Retirement Board.)
Chadwick said he was familiar with the Holyoke financial details and praised Dugre.
McGiverin asked, regarding Holyoke's unfunded pension liability, whether the city should join the state retirement system.
Chadwick said, "I think Holyoke is doing fine. They're meeting their obligations for their funding schedule....I think Holyoke is doing a good job with that."
Jourdain noted the residency requirement and asked about Chadwick's willingness to move here.
Chadwick said he would move here if appointed city auditor.
Greaney asked about Chadwick's experience before 1990. Chadwick said he worked in California at the University of Southern California and at the University of California, Los Angeles.
McGiverin asked Chadwick his view about the city's form off government, with a strong mayor but also a strong City Council :
Chadwick he understands the system of multiple councilors advocating for different wards.:
Tallman asked what Chadwick's first task as auditor would be.
He would meet with and gauge staff, he said.
"I've got to get acclimated to the situation. I'd probably have to do a lot of reading," Chadwick said.
Tallman asked Chadwick to cite a weakness.
"I don't have any at all," Chadwick said.
His career has included public speaking, attending many kinds of meetings and making presentations on issues such as financial reconciliations, he said.
"I'd like to think at this point in my career I don't have any (weaknesses) left," Chadwick said.
"And you're very humble," Greaney said.
Bresnahan asked Chadwick what he would do if the mayor asked him to do something with which he was uncomfortable.
"I'm sure you're aware of the financial crisis the city is now facing, the receivership of the schools ... ," Bresnahan said. "But having a strong mayor and a strong city auditor can sometimes be problematic."
Chadwick said he was used to taking on different kinds of responsibilities. He told an anecdote about being called into the office of a supervisor admonishing him for not voting a particular way on a retirement issue.
Different officials must figure out how to work together, he said.
"We have to come together as a group ..." he said.
He then walked over to Leahy and handed him what he said was a thank you letter.
"Peter Tallman would like you to mail it," Leahy said, a joking reference to Tallman's job as a United States Postal Service letter carrier.
"Thank you very much for the opportunity. I do appreciate it," Chadwick said.
Morales:
Morales said he was originally from here and lived three years on Chestnut Street.
He is an opera tenor, having lived for years in Europe where he toured with opera companies over the continent and parts of Africa. He is also fluent in Spanish and Italian, according to his resume and comments to councilors.
He returned to the United States after someone in Europe asked him about current events in his home country and he felt he was unable to respond and decided to learn, he said.
"I have a passion to bring that to the lay man, the every day person," Morales said.
Valentin asked how his experience as city manager of Hudson, Iowa from 2013 to 2015 would help him here.
Morales said he began in Hudson as an intern. He was hired there later based on his experience in handling reinvestment of municipal bonds, he said.
McGiverin asked about his experience with municipal employee retirement systems.
Morales said he directly managed a staff in Hudson of 16 and indirectly, a group of 45, and that included retirement system issues.
He has experience in helping Hudson with its pension liability and keeping the city as closely tethered as possible to its funding requirements for that system, he said.
One idea to help in fully funding a retirement system, he said, is to keep current employees in the system longer such as by offering them partial retirement, he said.
McGiverin asked about the prospect of dealing with the mayor and City Council.
Morales said the auditor in dealing with the different parts of government must remain objective.
"You want to maintain checks and balances," Morales said.
The auditor's job is to give information to officials so they have an objective way of measuring a situation, he said.
Morales suggested a benefit could be if the city got more creative with the use of "TIF" zones, referring to the tax incentive known as Tax Increment Financing that cities and towns can use to foster redevelopment.
"The private-public relationship is something I feel I specialize in," Morales said.
Tallman asked Morales to identify a weakness.
"I think a lot and I read a lot," Morales said.
That can lead to resistance because he doesn't believe in giving people answers that might put investment at risk, he said.
Greaney asked about the residency rule and Morales said that as he owns a home in Springfield, it would easy enough to rent an apartment here.
Shelley King of Westfield, commercial loan assistant with Florence Savings Bank, was a candidate for tax collector but rescinded her application, Leahy said.
Two candidates for city auditor didn't attend the committee meeting: Grant Wells of Springfield, controller with RUWAC, maker of industrial vacuuum systems, and Susan Carmel of Pittsfield, director of finance and administration and treasurer for the city of Pittsfield.
