Powell promoted to city treasurer

The Hoover City Council promoted the city’s purchasing director, Ben Powell, to the city treasurer position, replacing Robert Yeager, whose retirement took effect Oct. 1.

Powell continues to serve as purchasing director but took on some additional duties as treasurer and received a raise, City Administrator Allan Rice said. His salary range rose to the same level as Chief Financial Officer Melinda Lopez and Chief Operations Officer Tim Westhoven, who are some of the highest paid employees in the city.

However, the City Council decided to outsource some of the duties that Yeager has done as treasurer.

The council hired Eagle Asset Management, a subsidiary of Raymond James, as an investment advisor and Lincoln Financial to handle group insurance services for life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, and long-term disabilities. The city also has considered outsourcing payroll operations, Rice said.

The treasurer duties that Powell picked up are not everyday duties, but more sporadic in nature, such as being the official custodian of city funds and being responsible for transfers of money, Rice said.

Because the treasurer position is being filled by an existing city employee, the city plans to use the money that previously funded the purchasing director position to hire a third person in the purchasing department. Rice said a recent analysis of city staffing levels determined that the city of Hoover had nine fewer people handling its financial operations than comparable cities.

Yeager, who is retiring, has been treasurer since 2016. He originally came to the city as chief financial officer in 2001 when he was hired by former Mayor Barbara McCollum, but became treasurer in a reorganization crafted by current Mayor Frank Brocato. Prior to coming to the city of Hoover, Yeager was chief financial officer for the Hoover school system.