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West Wendover’s outgoing Chief Financial Officer Sondra Schmidt might not be leaving if she received the $24,000 the city council authorized to advertise for her replacement.
Schmidt announced she was leaving at the beginning of April and according to the CFO pay was a major factor in her decision.
“I really didn’t want to leave,” Schmidt said two weeks ago. “But facing a ten percent cut in pay versus a 45 percent raise at the new job, I had to think about my family first.”
According to Schmidt she will become the new Chief Financial Officer for Humboldt County in Winnemucca. That position had been open since December. Schmidt interviewed for the position earlier last week and was tentatively offered the job that same day.
In addition to paying significantly more Winnemucca is much closer to her ranch in south eastern Oregon.
But while the council was ready to cut Schmidt’s pay by about $7,000, they voted over the objections of Mayor Donnie Andersen to spend almost three times that amount to find her replacement.
“No it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Andersen said Wednesday.
According to the mayor the city is slated to spend the money with professional search firm as well as ads in trade publications around the region.
“Hopefully we can fill the position before the search starts, that way we don’t have to spend the money.” the mayor added.
Schmidt departure could not come at a least fortuitous time for the city. Facing a budget deficit described as massive, there has been but one budget meeting so far this year. While department heads like Schmidt were forced to take a ten percent pay cut, West Wendover’s unionized work force has reportedly refused a similar reduction in pay.
Hit by a combination of over building, the Great Recession and an ‘unexpected’ 10 percent drop in population West Wendover is facing a sea of red ink, that must be drained before the start of the next fiscal year and cannot be fixed by printing more money.
