The Flathead County commissioners voted to explore the possibility of merging the county superintendent’s office with the county treasurer’s office, a move called rushed and inappropriate by many involved.
At their Dec. 15 meeting, the commissioners decided with a 2-1 vote to pass a resolution allowing the county to look into the possibility before Jan. 14, the first day a candidate can file for elected office. The commissioners have to announce a change seven days before the filing so people know if the position still exists.
The resolution is not a decision about the consolidation. There will be a meeting at the commissioners’ office on Dec. 29 at 11 a.m. to discuss the draft plan and a public hearing about the potential consolidation is scheduled for Jan.4 at 10:15 a.m.
County Superintendent of Schools Marcia Sheffels said she had no forewarning of the resolution and disagreed with the idea that the county treasurer’s office could take over the responsibilities her office oversees.
“No evidence has been provided that consolidation would be more fiscally conservative than maintaining a county superintendent’s office, nor has there been a plan or explanation how the consolidation would be functionally efficient,” Sheffels wrote in an e-mail after the meeting.
Flathead County has 23 school districts with a complete range of school sizes. This year, the county superintendent’s office is operating on a $208,567 budget, roughly 2.4 percent of the county’s general fund. Sheffel’s salary is $60,635.
The consolidation could be a money-saving move for the county, said Commissioner Joe Brenneman, who championed the resolution. Even without a plan or research in place to support the idea, Brenneman said passing the resolution would provide two to three weeks of time to complete due diligence.
Brenneman said the consolidation is by no means a reflection of Sheffel’s performance as county superintendent, but the county has successfully merged offices before with positive results.
The exact nature of the potential consolidation is still unknown, but it could mean eliminating the positions in the superintendent’s office. The responsibilities would fall to the treasurer’s office, but county Treasurer Adele Krantz said she would not be legally qualified to perform the new tasks.
“It does seem rushed,” Krantz said at the meeting. “I hope you’ve thought of all the different avenues for the taxpayers’ and schools’ sake.”
Montana law gives the county the option of consolidating the superintendent’s office, but the responsibilities must still fall to qualified personnel. These qualifications include a teaching or administrator’s degree and three years of teaching experience.
The law also says county commissioners can change the superintendent’s office into a part-time department.
Sheffels said the county would have to contract out certain educational responsibilities, including: hearings that come before the office on such matters as teacher termination; district transportation routes and controversies brought forward by school board decisions; providing for home school administration; providing for conflict resolution within the schools; and hiring a principal for the Pleasant Valley school, which currently only has a lead teacher.
Along with the educational responsibilities, the county superintendent is also in charge of fiscal responsibilities, such as making sure 56 percent of taxes collected for schools are being distributed according to state mandates.
Commissioner Jim Dupont voted against the resolution, saying that the process was moving too fast and there was too little information on the effects of the consolidation.
“It seems totally inappropriate and rushed,” Dupont said.
Dupont also said the public hearings would occur during the holiday season, which could cause fewer people to voice their opinions.
Commissioner Dale Lauman supported the resolution. He said the county should investigate all means of saving money.
“We need to look at all cost savings for the county taxpayers,” Lauman said. “This is one I think we owe the taxpayers to look at.”
Brenneman acknowledged that the resolution was brought quickly before the commission, but “in some situations such as this, there never is a good time.”
UPDATE: This story was updated to reflect a recently scheduled meeting set for Dec. 29.