Today’s information on the City of Salem Finance Committee is the seventh in a series on city committees, who is on them and their role in helping make city policy. Committees are an important part of how city government is supposed to work, and their responsibilities are spelled out in city ordinances. Section 106.150 calls for policy to be made “with the advice, information and analysis provided by the public, boards, commissions, committees and the city staff.”
The Finance Committee shall be responsible for the following areas, which are not exclusive:
• Preparation of budget annually; audits; tax collection and levies; bond proposals; salaries and classification of city employees.
• The committee shall have the power to call upon all city employees for information in their investigations and planning as well as from the private sector.
The mayor appoints a standing committee that consists of at least two members of the board of aldermen, with one such member named as its chairman. The mayor shall serve as ex officio member to the committee without the right to vote.
The finance committee shall serve the function of long-range planning for the City of Salem; budget preparation for board approval; and such other duties as might be assigned to them by the mayor or board of aldermen.
The committee shall be appointed at a meeting following the annual municipal election and the members thereof shall serve for a term of one year.
Finance committee members
Currently, the committee consists of all four aldermen: Kim Steelman – chairman, Shawn Bolerjack, Greg Parker and Kevin James.
There are two citizen members of the board: Sherry Lea, executive director of Healthy Dent County and the Salem Community Center @ The Armory; and Bob Jenkins, a retired insurance agent.
The group meets at a site to be determined when a meeting is called by the Capital Improvements committee chairman, Steelman. The meetings are open to the public, and notice is given by the city and announced at thesalemnewsonline.com and on the city’s Facebook page. The notice also appears in The Salem News print edition if received before deadline.
The best way to get involved in city committees is to attend meetings as a member of the public and express or demonstrate one’s interest and/or expertise in a given category to the city.
