I agree...that is an insult. I hope they are paying her as a high school grad, because that is essentially what she is.

WHAT THE?!

Did they say this during the meeting? I got bored with VADAR systems crap and changed the channel.

No experience as in she sees numbers and says "what the hell are these strange symbols?" or what?

12 PEOPLE APPLIED FOR LIBRARY DIRECTOR. DID THESE PEOPLE ONLY HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ALSO? IS BRENDA THE MOST UNEDUCATED PERSON THAT EVER SPOKE? LIZ WHAT ARE YOU WRITING DOWN? LIZ'S NEWS FOR YOUR KITTIES?

WHO IS THE NEW ACCT,WHER E DID SHE COME FROM ,DID SHE GO TO THE BROCTON SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH BROCTON BRENDA , IS IT JOHN DONAHUES SISTER , SHIT WE HAVE TO GET A RECALL GOING ON AND FAST WE CANT WAIT TILL APRIL.

I REMEMBER WHEN THE TOWN ELECTED LIZ THE FAT ASS PEZOLI TREASUER , SHE SCREWED UP THE JOB WITHIN A YEAR THAT THEY HAD TO HIRE A TREASUER AND MAKE THE JOB APPOINTED,  WE ARE A TOWN RUN BY LOSERS,

What should concern them most is that they had an advertisement through the MMA (Mass Municiplal Association) requiring a "Bachelor's degree in public administration, finance, business administration or related fields; masters degree preferred.  Three to five years professional accounting experience with municipal finance experience preferred....Special Criteria: The successful applicant MUST be a qualified CPA and have FULL knowledge of the VADAR accounting system". 
I met her, I like her, but she shouldn't have been an applicant by those standards.  What about how many other potential applicants that we didn't make an exception for ?  Who was responsible for the screening ?  Was that the best applicant we had ?  Alot of questions need answers.  Maybe the ITA is under too much pressure since he fired the "qualified, 15 year town accountant" and hired an accounting firm with little or no VADAR experience.
Just a touch of insight that I think citizens should know.  In fact, this is much of why the Fin Com can't get answers to many financial questions asked of the ITA but the BOS appointed him.  Finally, after more than a year, they have advertised for a "qualified" TA.   Why would they have shirked that responsibilty ?

Ham you are so funny.

SO THEY HIRE SOMEONE WITH OUT A DEGREE , THE PROBLEM WITH THIS GUY AS  I AM SURE THE SELECTMAN SAW IT IS THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN PROVIDENCE AND RICO AND PROBALY CIANCI AND SINCE THIS BOARD OF SELECTMAN ARE CROOKS THEY DID NOT WANT AN HONEST PERSONIN WAREHAM LOOKING OVER THERE SHOULDERS , THEY CAN PROBLY CONTROL THIS PERSON TILL THE DOR COMES IN AND WHEN WILL THIS PERSON GET HER DEGREE AND 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE , BY THEN WE WILL BE BANKRUPT AND THE SELECTMAN IN JAIL.

IHL - I agree w/your assumption that the current bos/ita did not even want to talk to someone who could figure out their scheming ways.

A more important point is that there are experienced professionals who might be willing to bring their expertise to bear on the current financial issues facing Wareham.  But to not even be given the courtesy of an interview and then see the hiring of a non-degreed wanna-be is truly insulting.

I think the most insulting thing is that they THINK this person can come in and as the ITA puts it, "be a valuable part of the management". Now, as a long time accounting professional (25+ years and MBA), this is ludicruous. The ITA clearly doesn't understand accounting or how it fits in or he wouldn't have made this hire. No offense to the person they hired, but this is a poor reflection on the ability to comprehend what is needed to run a town.

I find myself agreeing with the "they don't want someone that can figure out their crap" theory.

They were complaining that the town had no money, then they fire the accountant, and suddenly they have a magic pot of money somewhere from which to dip in and take $51,000 to spend on an Anti-Blogger SWAT team.

Methinks the previous accountant would have protested too much.

I don't mean to disparage this woman, everyone starts out on the bottom and maybe one day she'll be a great accountant, and if she were hired for a support job in the accountant office, it wouldn't be a problem.

But this town is too big and has too many problems to have a trainee as the head of the accounting department.

Zaleski has worked in Abington since 2006 as assistant accountant had worked as a bookkeeper for a variety of small businesses prior to that. She came to the interview with her arms full of documents, including the recently completed audit.

From article about Halifax search for their town accountant

Neighbor, you're too quick!

the new acct didnot get the job in hallifax  atown of 10k , she hat 2 years experiencein  in abbinghton ma where she worked with sanquist,who was fired in abginton for not doing his job, we have 5 times the population of halifax and halifax would nt hire her and she has to get on the job retraining . what is her salery ,is she getting what acct bliss got when she has to learn the job . she should not have been hired . have we gotbthatb deserpate.  we need to get new selectman in so we can get rid of her after her 6 monthes. trial period

The funny thing is they just hide and deflect anything.

Of course the BOS wouldn't publicly comment on her background.  She's from the same town government as Interim Butt Monkey.

Bobo pretends like he doesn't know about her background?  Read your hometown paper, Bobo.

I don't mean to disparage her, I suppose being the Assistant Accountant of Abington counts for something (though being a bookkeeper for small businesses doesn't count for that much in my opinion) - but the main complaint is that any town, especially one the size of Wareham with the fiscal problems that Wareham is facing should have an Accountant with a Master's in Accounting degree.  I think we should have a CPA.

When they say she doesn't have an accounting degree, what do they mean?  Does she have a bachelor's degree at least?  What degree is she going for within 3 years?

I will say this, Slager got it right when he said the ITA's actions are appalling. It's about time Slager got the same treatment I have received. I have no respect for the ITA and it will be worth a toast when he is hired by Red Lobster to stock the lobster tank! This guy has lied, refused to respond to requests, and has a really bad beard or whatever it is.

It's a pity he will find out that the Selectmen use you, and then toss you to the wind.

BREAKING NEWS: Ragman SCOOPED by the bloggers during a town wide computer audit!

Grandpa Bobo, you really didn't know the background of Wareham's new accountaint when she was a finalist for a job in your own home town?  In your own backyard?  That's pretty damn lame, Ragboy.  We all found it out in 2 seconds through google.

SCOOPED!  RAGMAN SCOOPED!

Oh I missed it because I'd rather flush my 75 cents down the toilet.  What did he jeer ITABM for?

Larry,

I will say this, the TA that they recently fired for not bowing to their every request, helped us out here in Onset on a few major issues. This guy responded to calls and emails. When we had a crime issue here, he came to a meeting and listened to our concerns, then worked with Cheif Joyce and his Lt. until our issue was resolved.

He gave us straight answers to our questions. And that's what we deserve as voters and taxpayers. We may not have liked all the original answers but working with the group and the Police, the issues were resoved.

Unfortunately that period of our history in Wareham has ended, and this is what we have to deal with now.

They received 12 applications for the new Town Administrators position, I would hope this to be an open process, however based on the Accountant hiring, I think they will just keep the ITA, they may have some interviews to quiet the citizens but they will be phoney.

Searay,
I started out in an adverse relationship with the former TA. As time went along, we had a much better relationship and dicussed many things. I felt he was the guy who would help Wareham turn the corner, but that was not to be. I smiled when I found out they had to pay him a settlement. He found a job rather quickly, and kudos to him!

I don't put faith in any hire the Selectmen make. Instead of the best candidate, they would prefer someone who can be manipulated. I don't see them keeping the iterim guy, he has just about served his purpose. They will be discarding him sooner than later.

Does this woman have accountants under her to do the grunt work?  You can't mess around with the books.  If she doesn't know what she is doing, it will show up when the town has its independent audit.  If the auditor is incapable of doing the audit, he won't do it and it will cost the town a lot money to get the books on order.  If the mistakes the auditor finds are a 'material deficiency', they will be reported to whomever is the reporting agency....and that will not be good for wareham?

Molly,
Based on the last few elections, I'm sure they are counting on low voter turnout, which plays to their strength. They know how to mobilize supporters for votes. The last town meeting proved that.

I won't comment any further on the Town Accountant. I hope she does fine, but if not, it should fall directly on the BOS. They have to approve her hiring.

They may save a bit of money, but they are spending it faster than they are saving it.

LOL Mixie---but wouldn't that take a miracle? Or better yet, a calculator?