CLAY TOWNSHIP — Fiscal officer Mark Brownfield is searching for a township resident to succeed him.

Brownfield emphasized his decision to step down as fiscal officer is not related to the resignations of trustees Dale Winner and Duane Heuker.

Brownfield was elected as fiscal officer in the Nov. 7 election.

Prior to being elected, Brownfield served as fiscal officer beginning last July after resigning as a trustee to fill the position held by Holly Buchanan.

Buchanan resigned from the position due to moving out of the township.

Brownfield indicated he is resigning from the fiscal officer position due to issues with his retirement benefits.

“The reason is I am a retiree from the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, but I’m still covered by the Ohio Public Retirement System, so I’m denied access to certain benefits because I’m still technically working,” Brownfield said.

Brownfield retired as Englewood’s police chief on June 30, 2023, before becoming a township trustee and a fiscal officer.

Brownfield said he made the decision to resign before the issues leading to the resignations of Winner and Heuker took place.

“Long before any of this happened I had told the trustees I am going to be departing. I’m trying to do it as a transition by finding my replacement first and then training them on how to do the job. After that, I will step away,” Brownfield said.

Brownfield said in addition to being a township resident, the ideal replacement is someone with an accounting background.

“An accounting background is preferred. Governmental accounting would be perfect,” Brownfield said.

Brownfield noted the fiscal officer is a salaried position.

“The position pays nearly $26,000 a year,’ Brownfield said.

Brownfield said there aren’t any set hours when the job must be done.

“I think it works better when someone is here during the day as opposed to after hours, but the job could be done after hours,” Brownfield said.

Brownfield said the job has become more manageable since he has taken over the position.

“The job has gotten a lot better, making it less time intensive since I’ve been doing it the last six months,” Brownfield said.

Brownfield said his plan is to hire an assistant to the fiscal officer.

“The plan is to hire an assistant, and then once he or she learned it and as long as the trustees would approve it, that person would become my replacement,” Brownfield said.

Brownfield noted, however, finding an assistant has been difficult.

“There’s nobody that has stepped up in the township and said I would like to do that job,” Brownfield said.

“I reached out to some CPAs I know in the area and they are just too busy being CPAs that they just don’t have the time to do it,” Brownfield said.

“I also had one person who expressed interest in doing it, but the person doesn’t live in the township,” Brownfield continued.

Despite the fact no one has expressed interest in the position as of yet, Brownfield believes the right person will be found.

Any township resident interested in the assistant to the fiscal officer position may go to the township website at www.claytontowshipoffices.com and download an application form.

Application forms are also available at the township administration offices, located at 8207 Arlington Road.

Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].