■ Will electorate or Council fill job? Measure to go on Nov. 4 ballot

 

Benicia voters will get a chance to decide in Nov. 4 whether the city treasurer should be an appointed position.

Currently, the treasurer is an elected position, though the last two treasurers — including current Treasurer Ken Paulk — have been appointed after their predecessors died in office.

However, the post has changed from the days the treasurer acted as the city’s finance officer. Now those duties fall to the city finance director.

Currently, Brenda Olwin has that job on an interim basis while city employees search for a permanent replacement.

In addition, Benicia has a citizens’ advisory panel, the Finance Committee, that weighs in on financial matters.

The city treasurer only needs to be a Benicia resident who is registered to vote; he or she isn’t required to have any training in finance.

Treasurer duties have been scaled back to attending Finance Committee meetings and signing the city’s warrants register that records payments the city makes.

Benicia is required by law to have a city treasurer, City Attorney Heather McLaughlin told Benicia City Council on Tuesday night before it unanimously authorized letting voters decide whether the treasurer should be appointed.

Historically, the treasurer been an elected office. In 1998, Benicia voters affirmed they wanted to keep electing a treasurer.

But since 2010, several treasurers have been appointed to fill vacancies that opened when an elected treasurer died in office.

Paulk was appointed July 1 to succeed the late H.R. Autz, who in turn was appointed Oct. 15, 2012, to succeed Robert Langston, who died Aug. 25, 2012, after winning the 2011 election.

Prior to that, city Administrative Assistant Teri Davena was appointed to complete the term of Margaret “Teddie” Bidou, who died in office Sept. 17, 2010.

During those times, the Council also considered making the treasurer’s position appointed, including combining it with that of another city job, such as that of the finance director, city attorney or another employee, as is done in other municipalities.

The matter arose again after Autz’s death.

“The discussion isn’t if we can or can’t have a treasurer,” Councilmember Alan Schwartzman said Tuesday.

McLaughlin told him that the California Government Code requires Benicia to have a treasurer, but added, “Someone can wear two hats.”

The Council also chose Mayor Elizabeth Patterson and Councilmember Christina Strawbridge, a Finance Committee liaison, to write a statement of support for the ballot measure, with room available for those who want to compose a rebuttal.

Rebuttals must be submitted by the city to the Solano County Registrar of Voters by Aug. 25.