For decades, Wasatch County’s clerk-auditor office has handled finances for the government, but that setup could soon change.
County Manager Dustin Grabau said he thinks it’s time to have a dedicated finance department, the way similarly sized counties do. The clerk-auditor is an elected position, so separating finance from that office would provide more continuity.
“Finance is an administrative department that supports the operation of the whole organization,” he said. “The benefit of an administrative department is it has a level of consistency in leadership.”
The county council had its first discussion of the proposed department at a meeting Aug. 5.
There would be no impact on the budget because two employees in the clerk’s office would be transferred to the new department. They would report to Grabau instead of the clerk-auditor.
Some in the clerk’s office have concerns about the proposal. Clerk-auditor Joey Granger couldn’t attend the Aug. 5 meeting, but finance director Randy Bates said Granger thinks the existing setup provides checks and balances.
“If you are working for the council or the county manager, and somebody does something you don’t like, your options are very limited because you can't really say, ‘Don't do that,’ because you're afraid for your job,” he said.
Bates said he’s supportive of the change, though. He wants the clerk-auditor’s office to have a greater emphasis on auditing.
It’s not yet clear whether the future finance department or the manager’s office would be responsible for the budget.
Councilmember Spencer Park said he has mixed feelings about the proposal.
“When I first read this item on the agenda, I cringed a little bit,” he said. “I’m like, this is big government. This is just creating another layer of fluff.”
But other councilmembers argued it could help the government run more efficiently.
The council will discuss the proposal again at its meeting Aug. 19.
