I’m asked all the time for my thoughts by individuals on our County Treasurer, Erica Firnhaber. So I decided maybe I should tell everyone what I’ve observed over the past couple of years while serving on the Shelby County Board. Given the track record of our local government, she probably isn’t the one we deserved, but she’s exactly the person we needed.
Regardless of party or personal opinions, we should all be looking for that position to be the final check and balance to make sure everything being paid out is done the legal way. You’d want that position to save tax payers money when possible, and not waste money when avoidable. You want your Treasurer to operate within the constraints of the law, follow all labor laws, know the laws well, and seek advice when in doubt or assistance is needed. Anyone able to remove emotion or personal opinions, would realize that our Treasurer has done all of this, going above and beyond what most would do. There really isn’t anything more that you can ask of that position.
I didn’t know the Treasurer prior to serving on the board. But I don’t think I’ve had a single conversation she didn’t talk about concern for taxpayers of the county. Her priorities are right and has a good moral compass. If you’ve been to county meetings or watched them online, sometimes you’ll see her get fired up on issues that need fixed. While some may not like the emotion that sometimes comes out, it’s important to note that fire is a byproduct of passion. And I’d rather have a person in that position passionate about doing the job correctly than not. I won’t fault anyone for being passionate about fixing issues.
Since day one, the Treasurer has always taken the time to explain every detail and anything I’ve asked about. There’s so much knowledge required to do that job, I have a hard time keeping up. I usually have to ask to have it explained to me like I’m 5 years old. I’d be nowhere near smart enough or qualified to be able to do the job correctly as a Treasurer. She would probably fit into a list of the top 10 sharpest people I know, which is good, because that position manages millions of dollars every year. People that will disagree with that, well, they probably aren't on my top 10 list.
I’ve never gathered any sense of a personal agenda, other than protecting taxpayers. There’s nothing to really be gained by holding position of the Treasurer. Consider whatever arguments there are against the Treasurer, and the opposite of that would be to spend more money, with no accountability, write checks without questioning anything. Regardless of party, would any taxpayer really want that? The position of Treasurer should not have anything to do with party, same as the County Clerk, Coroner, or Sheriff. There are set parameters to operate within the law.
The Treasurer’s office does not create or set policies or laws. This is probably the most overlooked detail. All Treasurer’s offices must operate within the parameters of the laws. There really isn’t much wiggle room for them to decide what to do or not do. So who is actually in charge of setting and enforcing county policies? The County Board actually. While a Treasurer can point out flaws in policies, the board must vote to update policies.
While that seems simple enough that a County Board should be able to fix, the biggest problem that will plague any local government from what I’ve witnessed, is tribalism. This is the scenario where people group up and decide which people are in their group, and those that aren’t, are always wrong. Once a person has decided somebody else is on the other team, they tend to find reasons to disagree with them, regardless of the info being presented right in front of them. While it’s a helpful survival mechanism, it doesn’t work well in a leadership position where everyone is supposed to be on the same team, working for the county taxpayers. This tribalism issue doesn’t stop at the boundaries of political party unfortunately. That would make it much simpler to deal with. I’ve literally complimented another board member that they “Made great points on an issue, and I agreed with them." Their response? “Shut up.” They had decided I wasn’t in their tribe and would fight with me no matter what, even if I agreed with them. The same issue has gone on with our Treasurer unfortunately.
I was appointed to the County Board shortly after they had called a special meeting to attempt to “Fire” an elected official by vote? I’m not sure how anyone thought that was an actual legal process or they were given the authority to do that. But they were so blinded by the tribalism issue, they were willing to do anything to anyone that opposed them. The reason they’ve been after her since the start is because she exposed a lot of what was being done incorrectly, and people fight against change. Even if that change is bringing it into compliance with the law.
I’ve witnessed our Treasurer active at almost every Republican event, and has upheld her oath to the taxpayers better than anyone could ever ask for. She keeps fighting for taxpayers, and has a genuine passion for doing it right. Erica Firnhaber wasn’t the Treasurer we deserved, but was the Treasurer we needed. And as a taxpayer, I’m thankful there are people like her.