Citizen request for postponement of Treasurer selection denied by council

City Council was interrupted Monday night when a person stepped forward to talk about the appointment of a new Finance Commissioner. Concerned citizen Mark Brown wanted to discuss the matter with council and suggested a one month delay on the matter until a new Chief Administrative Officer was in place. Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano denied the request, saying that the decision had already been made. Brown says the importance of the position was the main reason for a postponement…

Brown felt that while the selection of Shelley Schell was a good one, he says she may be looked at someone who was in retiring CAO Joe Fratesi’s ‘back pocket’. Later in the evening, Mayor Provenzano and members of council defended the process in which Schell was selected in only 30 days. The mayor acknowledged the input of the Chief Administrative Officer and the Commissioner of Human Resources, adding that the option to looking for a qualified candidate outside of City Hall was an alternative option. Brown was accompanied by a small number of supporters, and his position is all about democracy…

Brown says the position of City Treasurer is an important one. So important, the successful candidate will likely be there for the next 20 to 30 years, affecting everyone. He adds that a new CAO would have to be comfortable in a culture that is already established in the finance department. Provenzano and councillor Frank Fata again defended the process in selecting Schell, describing it as ‘thorough’, with interviews and ‘psychological testing’. When asked about the negative effects that would result from the decision, Brown answered that it’s the community that will suffer in some way…

Brown says a public vote — similar to one determining the Boxing Day issue — would have been a better alternative. Otherwise, the selection of Schell may be would be looked at as someone who was in retiring CAO Joe Fratesi’s ‘back pocket’. City Councillor Lou Turco asked Provenzano why it only took 30 days to decide on the new Treasurer. Provenzano says it made a lot of sense to make a decision now closer to budget time than later. The mayor responded that he didn’t feel rushed and that the selection process went smoothly.