Council selects new village treasurer

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

SHELBY — The village council voted Monday night 5-2 to offer the village treasurer position to Shelby resident Samantha Samuels and voted 4-3 to offer Samuels a starting wage of $11.50 per hour.

Samuels replaces Roxanne Inglis who resigned from the position at the end of April. She was one of six employees who left their employment with the village recently.

There were 13 applicants for the treasurer job, and five of them were interviewed. Samuels has an early childhood degree and works as a preschool teacher and in the retail field, Village President Andrew Morse said.

Councilwoman Paula Michalko said she is concerned about Samuels’ lack of experience in accounting. “I am concerned about offering the position to someone when we don’t know the scope of the job,” she said. “She lacks experience and education. I am really concerned with a lack of experience in that position.” She added that Samuels had the best interview among the five candidates.

Michalko and councilwoman Sharita Prowant voted “no” on the motion to offer Samuels the job.

Prowant, Dan Zaverl and Rich Setlack cast dissenting ballots on the motion to offer her $11.50 per hour.

“She is real bright, hardworking and honest,” said Councilman John Sutton. “And she can be stern if she wants to be.”

“That’s good that she can be stern,” Morse said, “because we can get some irate people at the window, and she’s able to handle it.”