WEST FARGO — West Fargo is returning to square one in its search for a new finance director after
interviewing three potential candidates
last week.
The city is searching for a director after Heide Delorme resigned in February.
She was hired in May 2023.
Since then, the city received 20 applications for the position. A hiring committee that includes Mayor Bernie Dardis and Commissioner Roben Anderson
met in a closed session on Friday, April 19,
to interview three candidates for the open finance director position. City Administrator Dustin Scott said two of the three candidates were from outside the region, which is why the interviews were done remotely.
Rachel Richter Lordemann, West Fargo communication manager, said the hiring committee met briefly on Friday, April 26, and decided not to name any finalists.
“The position will be reposted, and the search will continue in the coming weeks,” Richter Lordemann said.
Scott has said the city hopes to find additional applicants with a government background, specifically municipal experience.
“We are hoping to repost by the end of this week or early next week,” Richter Lordemann said Tuesday, April 30. “We are working on some additional resources that will go along with the job listing. This will be a wider search.”
While the city searches for a director, the department is now fully staffed once again with permanent employees. In June 2023, the city contracted with AE2S Nexus for staffing help, as well as help completing the 2022 audit and preparing for the 2024 budget. West Fargo paid AE2S Nexus $330,485.55 between February and November 2023 for its services.
Earlier this month, the city
entered into another contract with AE2S Nexus
to provide three major services: assisting with the upcoming 2023 audit, the 2025 budgeting process and providing on-call services, which it defined as “additional services as it relates to helping the city administrator and finance department evaluate data requests, options for process improvement, or similar items.”
The contract is not to exceed $45,000 without additional City Commission approval.
The finance director is responsible for managing accounting, debt/treasury, utility billing, budgeting, accounts payable/receivable, payroll and investments for the city. Delorme was earning a salary of $123,677.
The city
completed its 2022 audit, which the City Commission approved at a special meeting in March.
The audit found the city to be in relatively good financial standing. The city is now in the process of gathering materials for its 2023 audit, which Eide Bailly will conduct.
Wendy Reuer covers all things West Fargo for The Forum.