Ashtabula hires new finance director
ASHTABULA — City council gave James Goffe a contract to take over as the city's finance director at a special meeting Wednesday.
Goffe will start May 19, replacing outgoing finance director Marie Yvrose Augustin.
Goffe's contract ends May 19, 2028 and says he will be paid an annual salary of $92,000.
Goffe said he is grateful to be coming to work for the city and return to working for local government.
Goffe has previous experience working for the Ohio Auditor of State as a local government auditor and the finance director for Canal Fulton in Stark County, before going to law school, he said.
'After law school, I worked in public accounting for a small CPA firm, where my primary client was a non-profit, for whom I performed grants management and advised the director on compliance with federal grants,' he said.
Goffe left that position to serve as finance director for University Heights, before going back to the Ohio Auditor of State, he said.
He was hired by Witt O'Brien during the COVID-19 pandemic to consult local and state governments on grant funding, he said.
'Since my grant consulting work of the last three and half years, as well as much of my last stint as an auditor, which was during the first two years of COVID, were remote work, it will be nice to work and interact face to face with coworkers that are not my dog,' he said.
Goffe said he has always been interested in public service and believes a role as finance director will allow him to use all his skills.
'I am happy to be able to combine all of these skills and knowledge by returning to serve a local government here in northeast Ohio,' he said.
The city formed a committee to find a replacement after Augustin submitted her letter of resignation, with 60-day notice.
Council President John Roskovics said he was thankful for the committee's work.
'When you hire somebody, it's a lot of meetings, it's a lot of extra time [and] it's a lot of work,' he said. 'I appreciate that.'
Ward II Councilperson Terence Guerriero, who was on the committee, credited Ward I Councilperson Kym Foglio for doing most of the work finding and reaching out to candidates.
Ward IV Councilperson Jodi Mills agreed.
'We tried to be timely and efficient so that the person coming in could have some training, which is important with the next person,' she said.
Ward III Councilperson RoLesia Holman said she wanted council and city government to reach out to Augustin to make sure she is included in the transition.
City Solicitor Cecilia Cooper said Augustin could hire Goffe part-time for some of the transition.
After the meeting, Foglio said city leaders would reach out to Augustin.
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