If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, the old saying goes. Polk County’s organizational structure may not exactly be broken, but it’s obviously in need of fixing, as pointed out by David Unmacht, a consultant hired by the board of commissioners.
At one time, Polk County had an auditor and a treasurer, both elected positions. Once a person got into the job, he/she usually stayed, re-elected time and again, until voluntarily retiring or otherwise vacating the position. Sometimes there was competition at the polls, but often not.
When longtime Treasurer Florence Rood decided to retire a number of years ago, the commissioners at the time decided to combine hers and Auditor Jerry Amiot’s positions into one, a move that’s worked out well for the county in terms of streamlining duties and saving dollars. Amiot has proven to be very capable of serving in both capacities, and was rewarded for his efforts by his peers from other counties in the state.
The board made another good decision when it converted the auditor-treasurer, as it did the recorder, into an appointed, rather than elected, position a few year ago, saving the taxpayers a chunk of change on the election bill. This is arguably one of those positions – like judges, soil and water supervisors, surveyors and coroners – that should be appointed according to qualifications, not elected through popularity contests in which many voters know nothing about the candidates (if there are any, as no one has filed for some of these offices in counties across the state).
But Amiot won’t be there forever – he's one of a few key county employees likely to retire within the next five years. And with the new taxpayer service center encompassing the services provided through his office, the recorder's and assessor's up and running soon, Unmacht suggested that when the time comes for Amiot to leave, he not be replaced but instead implement a smaller management structure within the center. This suggestion trickles down throughout the whole county, as he mentioned several possibilities to meld departments and offices in streamlining efforts.
Perhaps it is time to cut from the top, but the county needs to tread carefully in doing this, especially with Amiot's position. If it chooses not to replace him, his many duties would need to be put in capable hands. He's a very busy guy, what with overseeing the county's finances and elections, collecting taxes, dealing with tax-forfeited properties, and licensing auctioneers and liquor providers. Some of these could be doled out to other departments or absorbed into the taxpayer service center, as Unmacht suggested, but something like the whole election process has the potential overburden any department unless other big changes occur within that office. His suggestion to consider creating a finance office seems viable as well, but wouldn't that need an auditor-treasurer type position a the helm?
