PRINCE EDWARD – In the wake of the announced plans for County Treasurer Mable Shanaberger to retire at the end of the year, at least one County supervisor wants to take a look at combining that office with the commissioner of revenue's office and creating a new finance director position in the county.

Such a move would still require a referendum and voter approval but the board via committee will at least take a look at the idea.

Supervisors also, however, asked the court to set a December 11 special election date.

“You can combine the treasurer's and the commissioner of revenue's offices together,” Leigh District Supervisor Don Gantt said. “…I honestly think that the County taxpayers should have that option if they so choose to do it.”

Gantt would further assess that it would be a savings and both offices would run more efficiently. He offered that if they had a finance director for the county, that person would be in charge of the whole deal.

“When I looked at and thought about this, both these offices are so heavily regulated that there's not a lot of wiggle room in there any way…It doesn't make sense in 2012 to do business like this,” Gantt said.

The suggestion of combining the two offices surfaced as the board weighed making a special election request. In the end, minus Gantt, they would choose to do so-specifically seeking the December 11 option. Shanaberger plans to step down at the end of the year and-if the courts agree to the suggested date-it would allow for smooth transition between her resignation and the new treasurer and negate the need for an interim appointment to the position.

Picking an interim, Gantt would also assess, wouldn't be a big deal if the taxpayers disagree and want to keep it the way it is. He also noted that if the Town has an election next year, “but if they did, that would be the perfect day to have this” adding that it would “at least increase the voter turnout. Having this thing in December, I think the low voter turnout is just a bad idea.”

Gantt suggested setting up a committee to study the options and ideas he suggested until the next board meeting and to “give the taxpayers the opportunity to decide if this is a good way to go or not.”

A referendum would require the signatures equal in number to 20 percent of the total vote cast for presidential electors in the previous presidential election which-given the high turnout for such elections-makes it challenging to achieve. The signatures, according to Code, must also be collected within a 90-day timeframe.

Lockett District Supervisor Robert “Bobby” Jones offered for discussion having the election in December for a treasurer that would serve three years (the remaining portion of Shanaberger's term) and appointing a committee to look into it.

“I know three years is a long time, but then again this is a pretty important decision,” Jones said.

He suggested after two years and if they receive a petition from the 20 percent of registered voters, to put it on the ballot.

“Putting it off for three years, I think, is a bad idea,” Gantt said.

He would cite low voter turnout issue in December, added that he can't see any reason going three more years running anything inefficiently and can't see any reason for the next three years to give up the savings of combining them.

Chairman William “Buckie” Fore would offer that Gantt doesn't know there's going to be a savings; Fore and Gantt seemed to agree the answer to that would come when the committee meets.

Fore later in the meeting assessed that it's “worth pursuing,” though there was vocal questioning and opposition to the concept.

Some Discussion

Farmville District (701) Supervisor Jim Wilck asked if the treasurer/commissioner would be an elected position; Fore responded that it would be a finance director that would be a county employee that would work for the County administrator.

“That centralizes an awful lot of power in one spot,” Wilck said. “I think I prefer the elected.”

Gantt would add that he would agree if it weren't so heavily regulated now.

He would also note, “As far as it being too much power, in all seriousness it's math…It's collecting money.”

“No…you need checks and balances and what-not and when the county administrator has got the power over the treasurer, over the commissioner of revenue and what-not, that's an awful lot of power,” Wilck said.

Still it was cited that the position could be appointed by the board of supervisors and Jones added that until they get a petition they can't go anywhere.

“…If we can't agree to do it, there ain't no need in going out looking for a petition,” Gantt said.

Setting an election deal, he would also add, would kill it. He added that nobody is going to get a petition by December 11 and suggested they slow down and if they need to hire an interim they can do so.

“I feel like it's an elected position, it should go to an election,” Farmville District (801) Supervisor Pattie Cooper-Jones said. “I think too many times this board just-they have friends in places that they want to put in places and I don't think it's fair to the public. It was already an elected position; she resigned. I think it should go back to an elected position.”

The committee weighing through the matter will include Supervisors Gantt (chairman), Farmville District Supervisors Wilck and Howard Simpson, commissioner of revenue, commonwealth's attorney, and county administrator and a representative from the treasurer's office.

“…Not to get anybody excited about this thing, but if the committee comes back and decides this is a bad idea, it's a bad idea,” Gantt also commented.

Commissioner of Revenue Beverly Booth, who was attending the meeting, was asked for her opinion.

“I want my job,” Booth said, later noting that there are only six directors of finance in the state of Virginia.