Terri Koss Appointed as City Clerk/Treasurer

City Council has selected Terri Koss to replace Theresa Heinzel as City Clerk/Treasurer.  Theresa is retiring after 30 years of service with the City.  Terri is the Clerk for Belknap Township and has worked in the County Prosecuting Attorney's office as a legal secretary for 17 years. 

The City Clerk/Treasurer position is very critical to our City.  Many cities have two individuals responsible for these two distinct jobs; however, as an efficiency measurer, the City combined these two positions, creating a significant workload for combined Clerk/Treasurer position.

Each position is important in its own right.  The City Clerk/Treasurer position, along with the City Attorney, and City Manager are the three full-time City employees hired directly by the City Council.  All three work directly for the City Council not for the City Manager.  This is part of the "check and balances" of the Council-Manager form of government.  It provides accountability and visibility for financial and policy actions.  The Manager is advising the Council on policy and spending, but the Clerk is independently documenting key points. 

The Clerk is responsible to City Council for taking and publishing minutes of Council meetings, keeping all official City records (some in perpetuity), being responsible for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, conducting special and general elections, and a host of other duties. 

The Treasurer is responsible for the City tax roles; coordination between the Assessor and the other taxing jurisdiction which collect taxes in the City, such as the Rogers City Area Fire Department Authority (RCAFDA) and the school district; preparing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reports; scheduling and documenting the Board of Review (BOR); and related duties.

Please join me in welcoming Terri Koss to the important position of City Clerk/Treasurer for the City of Rogers City.