San Bernardino County Treasurer-Auditor/Controller Tax Collector Oscar Valdez’s ongoing efforts to update his office’s function will entail more personnel expense, with this week’s hiring of its fourth new staff member in less than a month.
The board of supervisors on Tuesday complied with Valdez’s request that his office offer a $207,598 annual employment contract to Cynthia Presche. Presche has accepted the assignment of deputy chief of the auditor division’s information technology department.
Presche’s hiring, which will provide her with an annual salary of $129,749 and accompanying annual benefits worth $77,849, follows the board’s September 13 ratification of the hiring of three new accountants – Raul Marquez, Charlene Huang and Michael Sveinson – to assist in the office’s function, now that it is transitioning to a new auditing system. Marquez and Huang were hired as what are designated as accountant IIIs, each at a total annual cost of $77,572, including $54,246 in salary with benefits of $23,326. Sveinson, designated as an accountant II, will receive $66,954 in total annual compensation, which includes a salary of $46,821 and benefits of $20,133.
According to Valdez, his office needs the services of Presche, Marquez, Huang and Sveinson so it can wield the Enterprise Financial Management System, known by its acronym EFMS. According to Valdez, “The EFMS project was developed to replace the county’s current financial accounting system (FAS). The EFMS project team is comprised of staff from the county administrative office, finance and administration, auditor-controller/treasurer/tax collector, human resources, and information services department. Team members provide support and assist with the system planning and implementation of EFMS. As the new enterprise system, EFMS will streamline business processes and provide better management information.”
The EFMS is dependent upon an accounting program developed by SAP Public Services, Inc. and is using Labyrinth Solutions, Inc. to acquaint and orient county auditor’s division employees with the system. On April 19, 2016, the board of supervisors approved contracts with SAP Public Services, Inc., for financial software license, maintenance and support services, and with Labyrinth Solutions, Inc., for SAP EFMS implementation consulting services.
To some extent, Valdez indicated, Presche would replace Jason Anderson, another one of Valdez’s employees.
“Jason Anderson was fulfilling the responsibilities the auditor-controller treasurer tax collector’s chief deputy for information technology and he has been assigned to the EFMS project to assist with change management and [to] provide technical expertise in other capacities as deemed necessary,” Valdez told the board of supervisors. “The recommended employment contract authorizes Cynthia Prescher to provide services to the auditor-controller/treasurer/tax collector as chief deputy for information technology during the course of the EFMS project. Cynthia is currently a business application manager and has been serving in the capacity of the chief deputy, information technology since May 4, 2015. This position will have the primary responsibility of developing information technology strategic and tactical plans, managing the information technology division (ITD) staff, and preparing and monitoring the ITD budget. This employment contract shall be effective October 1, 2016 and either party may terminate the contract at any time without cause with a 14-day prior written notice to the other party.”