By DEB GRUVER

Staff writer

Marion will contract with Loyd Group to have former city clerk Tiffany Jeffrey train employees, including its new city clerk, at a rate of $100 an hour.

Jeffrey now works for the accounting firm in Galva.

Council members voted 4-0 Monday to approve the contract. Ruth Herbel abstained.

“I think we should look around and find someone who is more reasonable than $100 an hour,” Herbel said.

Abstaining from a vote is allowed under city code only when a council member has a conflict of interest. At the time of abstaining, a council member typically would state the conflict of interest.

Mayor David Mayfield made a motion to accept the no-bid contract, and council member Zach Collett seconded it. New council member Kevin Burkholder — appointed during the same meeting to fill Chris Costello’s empty seat — and council member Jerry Kline voted for it.

Through Loyd Group, Jeffrey had been assisting the city for free. In addition to new city clerk Janet Robinson, who makes $18 an hour, she will train assistant city clerk and city treasurer Becky Makovec, who filled in for Jeffrey when she resigned last year.

Mayfield gave Makovec a $2.50 an hour raise Jan. 9, bringing her hourly wage to $24.45. He also gave court clerk Sandy Scheele a $2.50 an hour raise, bringing her hourly wage to $18.

Robinson said Tuesday that Jeffrey would train her, Makovec, and Scheele when necessary.

Going forward after Monday, Loyd will bill the city for Jeffrey’s time.

The contract defines a scope of services to include training city staff on:

• Accounts payable
• Bank reconciliation
• Budget
• General ledger
• Internal controls
• Licensing
• Payroll

It also states that Jeffrey will help staff with “preparation of compiling calendar items that need to be completed on a biweekly, monthly, and annual bases (sic) as well as training of such items.”

Jeffrey won’t audit financial information, audit internal control or procedures, perform services or make representations that could be perceived as making management decisions, make managerial decisions on behalf of city administrations, or provide managerial approval or disallowance of American Rescue Plan Act fund expenditures.

Loyd Group will bill the city monthly, and total payment can’t exceed $10,000 without the city’s prior written consent.

“I think it’s a good deal for us,” Mayfield said.

Collett noted that Jeffrey already had knowledge of city business and the software systems it uses.

The contract was a late addition to the city council’s agenda not included in information sent to council members Friday.

Mayfield also accidentally began to adjourn before dealing with the contract. The council had revised its agenda at the beginning of the meeting to include the contract.