The county is looking to establish some new positions, namely a finance director to manage the county budgets and possibly take over tax collection and a paralegal assistant for counsel. The finance director, as envisioned by Treasurer Mary Barton and board chairman John Sweet, would be responsible for all “financial reporting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets and payroll. Directs the development and implementation of related policies and procedures. Responsible for the initial development of the County’s annual budget and subsequent amendments of budgets during the fiscal year.”
Barton has been asking for help for years and is clearly eager to begin this process but some people attending the meeting voiced a concern that the finance director will morph into an administrator. Sweet flatly denied this but rushing to make changes so soon after taking office has raised suspicions that he is working toward the ends desired by the CCAP who contributed money to his campaign. These worries were fueled today when he was seen breaking bread with the enemy, the founder of the CCAP, Jon Barton, in Coquille before the meeting.
There is little argument that a finance director type person is necessary and each year the auditors remark that the county needs a qualified staffer to replace functions taken over by Mary Barton who is an elected official and will not run again. Still the county has some time between now and 2016 to really flesh out how best to proceed and define the position.
This is a condensed version of the last week letter. It corrects the leaving time to the end of April, and does not have attached screen shot of the board showing the proposed organization.
Letter to Ed.
Coos County Veteran Service Officer is leaving April, 30, 2013.
Current plans are to place the Veteran Service Officer under the umbrella of Coos County Health and Human Services, and move the Veteran Service Officer job site, to North Bend Annex with Mental Health.
Involved in selecting applicants are, County Human Resources Department, Current Coos County Veteran Service Officer, Kay Ducheneaux. Coos County Commissioner liaison, John Sweet. Coos County Health and Human Services Director, Ginger Swan, with a final assist from Tom Mann, Oregon Department Veteran Affairs.
Note: Coos County Health and Human Services Department, not listed on the County web site, has a Director over three county departments: Coos County Mental Health, Public Health Department, and Commission on Children and Families. These departments are primarily located in the Annex. Proposed addition to this group is the Veteran Service office. http://coosmediacenter.pegcentral.com/
Why is Ginger Swan screening applicants for the Veteran Service Officer Job? Are our Veterans Sick?
The replacement should be a Veteran, not be supervised by Health and Human Services, reporting directly to the Commissioners, so that funds for Veterans are spent on Veterans’, not spent by Health & Human Services.
League of Woman voters, show Swan, as Mental Health Director, 2012-2013. Now, proposed Director of Health and Human Services Department, as per County commissioner Sweet.
http://lwvcooscounty.org/files/WHOS_WHO_2012.pdf
If you are compassionate about Veterans, or just like um, and have concerns about the proposed changes facing the Veterans Assistance Department, speak to the County commissioners,
Next Coos County Commissioners meeting, March 5th, 9:30 AM, at the Owens building, 225 North Adams, Coquille.
Veterans, be early, required sign in, attendance and speaker, separate sheets. Commissioners need to listen to your comments.
Subject: Veteran Service Officer, Job, Coos County
The horse is out of the Barn, Why close the door now? The Coos County Veteran Service Officer will be leaving their job April 1, 2013. The persons responsible to insure that job is filled with a qualified replacement, got right on the task.
Currently the job Announcement is closed, and the many applicants are being screened to select the best qualified.
Involved in the process, County Human Resources Department, Current Coos County Veteran Service Officer, Kay Ducheneaux. Coos County Commissioner liaison, John Sweet. Coos County Health and Human Services Director, Ginger Swan With a final assistant from Tom Mann, Oregon Department Veteran Affairs.
I see two major flaws in the job announcement. This is not a Veteran preference employment. So, no Veteran has first shot at the job. The position description does not include a requirement to become Certified by the Oregon Department Of Veteran Affairs, as a Veteran Service Officer, within the first two years of employment.
Note: Coos County Health and Human Services Department, not listed on the County web sit, has a Director over three county departments: Coos County Mental Health, Public Health Department, and Commission on Children and families. These departments are primarily located in the County Annex in North Bend. Proposed addition to this group is the Veteran Service office.
Current plans are to place the Veteran Service Officer under the umbrella of Coos County Health and Human Services, and move the Veteran Service Officer job site, location to the County North Bend Annex.
Why is Ginger Swan, shown in the League of Woman voters as Mental Health Director, 2012-2013, and now Director of Health and Human Services Department, as per County commissioner Sweet. screening, applicants for the Veteran Service Officer Job. Are our Veterans Sick?
http://lwvcooscounty.org/files/WHOS_WHO_2012.pdf
The Coos County Veterans Service Officer should be a veteran, remain a separate department, reporting to the County Commissioners, and should not be supervised by Health and Human Services.
A bottom up, approach, would be better suited to this Job, Veterans’ Service for the Veteran and not a top down approach from the County Reorganizers who want to shift around department heads.
Example: If the Veteran Service Officer is no longer a department, their state allocated funds are no longer available for spending directly by this department, funds are not spent directly to benefit Veterans, but by Health and Human Services.
If your compassionate about Veterans, or just like um, and have concerns about the possible changes facing the Coos County Veterans Assistance Department. Then speak to the County commissioner, John Sweet, who is Liaison to that department, and to the other commissioners.
Show up at the next Coos County Commissioners meeting, March 5th, 9:30 AM, at the Owens building, 225 North Adams, Coquille.
Be there early, there are two sign up sheets, one for attendance and one to speak. Let the Commissioners know how Coos County Veterans feel about this.
Also look at Channel 14 Video of 1st Wrk Sess. of Advisory Grp to Commissioners by Elected Officials & Dept.Heads. http://coosmediacenter.pegcentral.com/
Be careful, he doesn’t like to be talked about when he’s trying to cut a deal for a client or trying to scrape a little cream off of that government pie when he helps them carve it up and pass it out. Jon doesn’t attend these things lightly.
Barton did not drive from Hauser to Coquille for a tuna sandwich.