“I just think it’s garbage.”

That was Oxford Village Councilwoman Maureen Helmuth’s blunt assessment of the independent contractor agreement between the municipality and Lori Fisher.

Last week, council discussed the three-page contract under which Fisher is being paid $49.50 per hour (no fringe benefits) to handle various responsibilities related to the village’s finances.

Council voted 4-0 to put an expiration date of Nov. 14 on the agreement.

Helmuth made her feelings about the contract crystal clear.

“I think it’s horrible,” she said. “I think we’ve got to stop. I think we are hemorrhaging cash. I don’t know where all this money’s coming from. We cannot afford this.”

Fisher, who serves as the elected treasurer for Addison Township, a part-time position she’s held since 2012, started working for the village on Aug. 28, even though the contract wasn’t signed by her until Sept. 18 and by Interim Manager Evan Teich until Oct. 4. She was hired by Teich to “address bookkeeping, banking, audit preparation and other functions,” according to a Sept. 21 memo to council.　

“I brought her in under my authority to get the job done. She’s (here) on a temporary basis,” Teich told council. “Either I or the board can terminate this agreement at any time. I recommend you don’t.”

The agreement spells out the services that Fisher is to provide and it includes performing the “functions and duties of treasurer for the village,” maintaining the general ledger, payroll and accounting services.

Under the agreement, Fisher’s time working for the village is “not to exceed 20 hours per work week.”

As of Sept. 28, she had worked 68 hours for the village, according to Teich.

Teich explained to council he brought Fisher in “on an emergency basis.”

“I had an audit coming up, so I had very few choices in that given time period and during that period, she has worked out admirably. I think you all can agree to that,” he said.

Teich admitted Fisher’s contract “has dragged on a little bit longer” than it was supposed to.

“While we cannot afford this in the long-term,” he told council, “we are able to afford” it for a short period because other staff positions within the village office are currently vacant and Fisher is not being paid health or retirement benefits.

“It’s just the straight salary,” Teich said.

“I do agree that over a longer period, this will incur some budget issues and it does need to be dealt with very quickly,” the interim manager noted.

To that end, Teich is planning to present council with “a whole staffing plan,” that includes wages, to address the needs in the village office. One of those recommendations is to make the vacant clerk/treasurer position a part-time gig and hire Fisher to fill it. It would be up to council to fill the position, not Teich.

The reason the contract ended up being discussed by council is because it was placed on the meeting’s consent agenda under correspondence to be received and filed. It was separated from that part of agenda at Helmuth’s request because she wanted to discuss it.

She believes for what Fisher is being paid, the village could have hired more staff.

“We could have done much better,” Helmuth said.

“I just think it’s wrong,” she noted.

Councilman Erik Dolan indicated he had “expressed the same concerns” about Fisher’s contract, but the village needs someone right now to handle these responsibilities.

“Had this (agreement) been presented in advance, I likely would not have been in favor (of it),” he said. “However, given the circumstances as they are . . . I feel the village is in a position in which we don’t have a choice but to execute this as a short-term (measure).”

“In order to ensure the continuity of local government,” Dolan made a motion to approve the agreement with Fisher “for a period not to exceed 30 days.”

That motion failed in a 2-2 tie with Dolan and village President Sue Bossardet voting for it and Helmuth and Councilman Dave Bailey voting against it.

Village attorney Bob Davis explained that council’s approval of the agreement was not necessary because, in his legal opinion, “the village manager had the authority to take this action” and the contract is “valid.”

“Despite what the (council) vote was, I think the contract has been put in place by the village manager,” he said.

Helmuth agreed with the attorney’s opinion and explained she didn’t think Teich was “out of bounds” entering into the agreement with Fisher. Her beef was with the contract’s terms.

“Don’t bring it to me and think I’m going to say ‘kudos’ because this is a terrible contract and it’s garbage,” she said.

Following the failed vote, Dolan asked his fellow council members if they “genuinely have an interest in staffing these positions” and if not, “I would inquire if you really genuinely have an interest in existing as a community.”

“These are the most basic functions of government and . . . while they’re not palatable due to the circumstances, there is no choice,” he said.

“I want to staff the entire village in a reasonable manner,” responded Helmuth. “Giving somebody $50 (per hour) to make a problem go away does not staff the village.”

Helmuth said she wants to fill village positions with “the right people and “not just (throw) money at a problem (to) make it go away.”

Although council approval was not necessary for Fisher’s contract, Davis advised officials they could place a “time cap” on it.

Given this, Helmuth made the successful motion to set Nov. 14 as the expiration date.