St. Mary Aldermen Table Action On Collector’s Hours Again, Approve Treasurer Contract

The St. Mary Board of Aldermen again tabled a decision on a revision to the hours of the city collector and formally accepted the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce’s offer to provide funds for HSB Advisors to provide city treasurer duties.

The meeting was the last on the schedule before the April 7 Municipal Election. Brian Helms, the senior member of the board who is not seeking re-election next month, was absent from the meeting.

Collector Stacia Placke, who is unopposed in next month’s election after being appointed to the office last year, talked with the board about her schedule.

The collector currently is at City Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m.

The new hours would be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. Lunch would be noon to 12:30 p.m. each day.

The collector, directly elected by the voters, can set her hours but they must be approved by the Board of Aldermen, city clerk David Woods said after the meeting.

CONTRACT FOR TREASURER APPROVED

The board approved the contract proposed by the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce to pay for treasurer services provided by HSB Advisors.

The $2.700 for the service was removed from this year’s budget to cut costs, although it would result in another area of concern in the audit.

The chamber months ago proposed covering the cost.

The contract approved by the board is for one year in length from February to January 2021.

“They want to evaluate it every year,” Woods said.

See complete coverage of the meeting in the March 18 edition of the Herald.