A temporary arrangement to have a part-time chief finance officer has now passed the year mark as the city faces preparation of its second calendar-year budget.
Former CFO Ron Zilinski left the city in January 2012 and in February officials announced a deal in which Glenn Cullen, the borough administrator and CFO in neighboring South Plainfield, would serve five to eight hours a week in Plainfield while a search was underway for a permanent CFO. Council members were skeptical, perhaps because all of them plus the mayor had been put under a state mandate to fill the statutory role in 2010 or face personal fines of $25 per day. At that point, the vital post had been vacant since former CFO Peter Sepelya retired at the end of 2007.
Cullen was to receive $800 per week for giving his services in his spare time. Finance Director Al Restaino hailed him for helping the city "in our time of need." Meanwhile, the council approved a higher salary range for the post in hopes of attracting a permanent CFO.
Among interim solutions after Sepelya left, the city in 2009 attempted having the city administrator sign off on fiscal matters. City officials also asked the state to name a CFO, but the Division of Local Government Services put the onus back on the city, leading to Zilinski's hiring in late 2010.
Zilinski saw the city through a transition from a fiscal year beginning July1 to a calendar year. The change included a six-month "transition year" budget from July through December 2011. Plaintalker had questions at the time (see here).
The first calendar year budget did not start out well. A state review found numerous errors and omissions. Budget consultant David Kochel was able to straighten it out, leaving the city with just a small tax increase instead of the initial $1.5 million shortfall.
Budget time is at hand once again. How will things go in 2013?
--Bernice
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I don't know why we would expect anything from our mayor, but half hearted efforts and distain for the needs of the city. We need a full-time CFO and I wonder what is going through her confusing and devious mind. Let's hope the new mayor we get next year will be more organized and realize how important it is to have all cabinet positions filled with full-time people.
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