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Photograph by Paul Myers
Former Administrative Services Director Mary Jo Walker kept the city's books in 'apple pie order,' according to one city official.
City loses its financial guru to the city of Santa Clara
By Oakley Brooks
If Saratoga city officials were superstitious, they might not have allowed former Administrative Services Director Mary Jo Walker to escape on Friday the 13th this July. By most accounts, the city has benefited greatly from Walker's financial acumen over the last three years--enough to wonder if her departure might haunt the city.
Walker helped steer the new library project during its infancy, even before voters approved bond money to finance construction. Walker was involved in the designing and financing phases and helped set up a temporary library, which will serve the community while the new one is built.
She's also guided the finances for the city over the last three years with skill that's earned her and the city national government accounting awards each year.
"When somebody of this caliber leaves, you always find a big hole in his or her place," said City Manager Dave Anderson."
Walker is headed to Santa Clara, a city three times bigger than Saratoga. She'll also manage an investment portfolio valued at more than 30 times Saratoga's.
But she leaves the city in better shape than when she found it, with a general fund surplus that has grown every year and now sits at $9 million as of July 1. That's enough to fund a city-wide infrastructure improvement project over the next five years.
The growth, Walker admits, has come during the economic boom of the last several years. But in a city with only minimal services and many civic groups clamoring for financial support, she and the city council have remained conservative in protecting the budget surplus.
"I never say we're in a great financial state because that means we have tons of money," said Walker. "People think that means we can do a lot more things."
City Councilman Evan Baker says Walker has also streamlined accounting procedures and records at the city to the point that "everything is in apple pie order."
Walker's move to Santa Clara is the latest in a 15-year career in local government finance. After earning a master's degree in public finance from Golden Gate University in the early 1980s, she has worked for the cities of Oakland and Danville and the county of Santa Cruz.
Her new job adds about 10 minutes to her daily commute from her home, which is near Felton.
Walker insists that despite her departure and the 25 percent turnover in city employees over the last year, the city is not merely a way station for public service professionals.
"A great opportunity came up, and I felt like I wanted to take advantage of it," said Walker. "Otherwise, I'd still be in Saratoga. I don't feel like I was here just to get some training."
Still, Baker says city employees are ripe for the picking by larger surrounding cities, which can pay employees better salaries and don't require that they relocate.
Anderson says that, with lots of practice recently, Saratoga has developed an ability to constantly "regenerate" itself by adding good staff swiftly. He says the city council and commissions have become adept at identifying suitable candidates for city jobs.
While the city is looking out for Walker's replacement, former Atherton Finance Director Melissa Eddy will fulfill some of Walker's duties on an interim basis. New Assistant City Manager Lorie Tinfow will assume Walker's role in the library project.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
