Reorganizing the department of finance

Step by step, Vernon works to make government run efficiently, By Jan Baker Vernon — Can Vernon taxpayers expect the township to save money as a result of reorganizing its finance department? “Not really,” said Robin Kline in a phone conversation with the Advertiser-News. Kline is the township’s clerk and acting Township Manager. But, she said, “everything that we do is with an eye to save money or work more efficiently.” Restructuring the township’s departments and specifically its finance department may not cut any salaries, but it should provide a more efficiently functioning government, she said. At the Vernon Town Council meeting held on Jan. 28, during the manager’s report, Kline announced changes being made that are designed to make the finance department operate more productively. She said she had met several times with Bill Zuckerman, Vernon’s chief financial officer, and the two looked for ways to streamline township affairs. By relocating some departments under the umbrella of the finance department, they hope to achieve this. Making changes Zuckerman underscored that Vernon is moving toward greater efficiency in its various departments. The practice would begin, he said, by giving some employees additional responsibilities and having their work overseen by Zuckerman, in his role as the township’s director of finance. This should also “increase the lines of accountability” Zuckerman said. The move could result in a time savings, as the work load could be distributed more evenly. The township’s purchasing department has been moved from under the purview of the manager’s office to the finance department. Other moves are planned or in progress.