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Bureaucratic glitch threatens teacher paychecks, school operations
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More from Other NewsVentura County schools Superintendent Charles Weis warned local officials this week that if a successor isn't in place when he leaves June 30, school districts could grind to a halt and more than 11,000 employees might not get paid.
The county superintendent's signature is required on every check paid to an employee or vendor of every school district in Ventura County. He steps down at the end of June, however, and has said payroll or warrants issued after that date can no longer carry his signature.
Weis said he has the authority to delegate that task only to a properly appointed county superintendent.
Though the superintendent position is an elected office, the Ventura County Board of Education has the authority and plans to appoint a successor to serve until Weis' term ends in 2010.
Weis announced his resignation in April. But trustees hired a consultant to help with an outside search last week, leaving little time to recruit, interview and appoint someone by July.
Trustee Marty Bates said he doesn't think the board is on schedule to make a July 1 appointment. He said the board has asked its attorney to check out what can be done to make sure checks continue going out after Weis leaves. State officials also have been asked to look at the issue.
"There has got to be a way," Bates said. "I can't believe that could occur."
He said he would like the board to meet next week to discuss the issue and get the search going. It would have to be a specially called meeting because the next regular meeting is scheduled for June 11.
"I think we're doing everything we can do to do it (an appointment) in the right manner," Bates said Friday. "I think that Dr. Weis has done an excellent job, and I hope we can find someone as good or better than him. ... To do that, it takes time."
In an e-mail to county board members this week, Weis said, "We should work together to find an appropriate and legal signatory for these warrants."
In July 2007, the county office paid 3,113 hourly employees about $2.3 million on the 10th of the month, their usual pay day. On July 31, paychecks were issued to 8,500 employees for a total of about $24.5 million.
Vendors' bills will start coming due even earlier, county officials said, and typically total tens of thousands of dollars. That cycle will repeat itself each month, with payrolls getting much larger once the school year begins.
The board had adequate time when he announced his plans to leave more than a month ago, Weis said, but if trustees don't meet the deadline, they might have a few other options.
Trustees could try to appoint someone who would agree to take the job on a temporary basis and step down when they appoint someone else. While the board has the authority to appoint Weis' successor, the only way for that person to leave the office is through a recall election or a resignation, Weis said.
The board also could ask the county Board of Supervisors to make the appointment or try to get a quick court opinion to say someone else would be authorized to sign the checks, such as the county auditor.
"The best thing is to appoint a qualified county superintendent," Weis said, adding that he thinks there are sufficient candidates within the county office and in local school districts in Ventura County, which might make a July 1 deadline possible.
Posted by SpiderWoman on May 30, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Typical! And to think these morons are the ones that oversee our children's education. Let's hire a consultant and pay them money, close schools and shut down crossing guards.
Posted by Optimist on May 30, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Can you add my name to that payroll
Posted by ssakoian on May 30, 2008 at 5:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well....let's see, if I don't get paid, the mortgage doesn't get paid, but who cares? The bank can reposess my house, my family can go hungry, I can eat up my savings, apply for and be turned down for welfare or emergency loans, run up my credit cards, sell my paid-for vehicle, and look for a nice tree to hide under for shelter.
I can also hire an attorney, I suppose, for failure of employer to honor contract, for duress and emotional damages caused by the above. A class action suit? 11,000 individual lawsuits?
Hmmm. Seems cheaper to just get someone in place. At least Weis was weis enough to forwarn everyone.
Posted by chair on May 30, 2008 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let's get to the core: Who says only the superintendent may sign the checks? When that is determined, get the responsible legislature to amend or retract the whatever-it-is that presently requires it. What's really absurd is that our legislators and bureaucrats never PLAN for anything! Businesses typically have several authorized authenticators for every thing they do.
Posted by imp9824 on May 30, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
chair- Agreed. There should be a stipulation that if the Superintendent position is vacant, then the Associate Superintendent of Administrative Services could sign, and if that is vacant, a majority of the members of the Board of Education could authorize payment. It does seem odd that only one person is allowed to sign the checks.
Posted by JohnAlamillo on May 30, 2008 at 6:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We wouldn't have this problem if the board would have appointed one of the capable staff as interim and then opened the process up to an election in November.
Would have saved $25K. But it's not their money...
Posted by hogueiette on May 30, 2008 at 6:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As I was reading this I thought that figure is awful low, 11,000 employees for all the school districts in Ventura County. Then I realized that the article only mentioned checks and not direct deposits, which I think the direct deposits are safe. These notices don't require his signature, only the checks. Since it takes one cycle to process and test the direct deposit it if I was an employee who didn't have direct deposit I would run to their local district office and sign up for it. By the way the article is a little wrong the 10th payday is not a regular payroll it is a supplemental for special payrolls their regular payroll is the last working day of the month.
Posted by span on May 30, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have my husband's direct deposit pay stub sitting right here. It says "This Automatic Payroll Deposit has been examined, approved & allowed [next line] Charles Weis Ph.D. County Superintendent of Schools," so, I don't know about direct deposits being safe.
Posted by imp9824 on May 30, 2008 at 9:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Any money being given by the Ventura County Office of Education (including direct deposits) must be authorized by the Superintendent.
Posted by emzoco on May 30, 2008 at 9:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh oh.
Posted by tellthetruth on May 30, 2008 at 11:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Do you seriously think the unions would let this happen??? I am sure they are on top of it... they better be since I am paying them each month to take care of this bureaucratic s**t. LOL
Posted by slkrchck on May 31, 2008 at 12:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
hogueiette ............"In July 2007, the county office paid 3,113 hourly employees about $2.3 million on the 10th of the month, their usual pay day. On July 31, paychecks were issued to 8,500 employees for a total of about $24.5 million."
i do believe the hourlys refer to non-contract staff. i used to be one and i was paid on the tenth of the month. with a contract and a permanent position, i am now paid on the last day of the month....today! whoo hoo.
i just wonder, what if weis had passed instead? shouldn't there have been a plan? glad he didn't die. i'd get hungry.
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