Vaughn, however, said she has not applied to fill the position full-time, and the city has extended the deadline for applications in its search for a new, full-time director, said Walt Wrede, the city’s manager.
“We decided to cast a broader net,” Wrede said.
In the meantime, Vaughn will help the Homer City Council through the process of adopting a balanced budget for 2006, which it must do before Christmas.
Vaughn said Tuesday the department is working well even though they are down a person.
“We have a good staff here. People know their jobs and they know them well,” said Vaughn, who has served as interim finance director since Monday.
Vaughn’s biggest job has been learning the budget — her preparation for future city council meetings, when council members commonly ask detailed questions about how much the city spends and earns.
The 2006 budget proposes to spend $9 million on basic, day-to-day services including police and fire protection, and library and public works staff, Vaughn said. That figure also includes $367,000 to be set aside for capital depreciation — savings for future replacement of buildings and vehicles. That is an increase of about $60,000 more than last year.
The department also handles utility bills for water and sewer service for the city and does the general accounting, Vaughn said.
Vaughn joked that she hasn’t found any mistakes with Baugh’s financial estimates yet.
“I doubt there are any,” she said.
Baugh left the city Friday to take a similar job in the city of Palmer, in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The city’s first application period ended last week. Only six applications were submitted, prompting the city to reopen the process, said Wrede.
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