THIS IS GETTING TIRING

I must be in the mood for beatings tonight, but here goes. I really am getting of tired of people that love to blame our budget problems and everything else to do with money on the City Treasurer . The City Treasurer is really the glorified keeper of the checkbook for the City of Hartford.( Sorry Adam)

The definition of the Treasurer's position is below, directly from the Hartford City Charter. No where will you find in there that he is responsible for the City's  budget, allocating money to departments(other than paying their bills when properly  requested) or any other financial responsibilities. I am sure he can (and probably does) make  financial  recommendations, but no one is bound to accept them. That is the Council's function as the fiduciary body for the City. Probably one of the largest and most important roles of the Treasurer is managing the Pension fund and heading the Pension Commission.

You may not like the Treasurer, but read the section below before commenting on so called " wrong doing"

Sec. 1. - City treasurer.    There shall be a city treasurer, who shall have the powers set forth in this Charter, or as otherwise provided by law. (a) Duties. The city treasurer shall have the following responsibilities, as well as any others set forth in this Charter, the General Statutes or by ordinance: (1) Custodian of city funds. Except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to any of the provisions to which reference is made in subparagraph (4) below, the city treasurer shall have custody of, and shall disburse, all funds belonging to the city and shall deposit the same in one (1) or more authorized public depositories. For purposes of this chapter, an "authorized public depository" shall be any bank and/or trust company that qualifies as qualified public depository under and pursuant to the General Statutes to the extent the same has been designated as such by the council on the recommendation of the mayor, following consultation with the city treasurer. (2) Treasurer of town deposit fund and capital improvement funds. Investment responsibilities. The city treasurer shall have custody, and shall be treasurer, of the town deposit fund and the capital improvement fund as well as any trust or like funds which are established by or under this Charter or the General Statutes for any eleemosynary purposes by or for the benefit of the city of Hartford, its residents or any of its public parks, buildings or other improvements. In that capacity, the city treasurer shall have authority to invest and reinvest the assets of all such funds in cash, securities and other investment instruments and/or vehicles which are legal for the investment of trust funds under the General Statutes, consistent with the fiduciary and other standards set forth in the Connecticut Uniform Prudent Investors Act. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent sinking funds and trust funds from continuing to be managed by the trust companies managing them at the effective date of this Charter, unless the appointment is revoked by the council for cause. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the management of any trust fund, or any trust fund is hereafter created, the council shall have power, on the recommendation of the city treasurer, to designate one (1) or more authorized public depositories to manage the same, which designation shall continue until revoked by the council for cause. (3) Disbursements. The city treasurer shall make no disbursement from any funds of the city except by check or electronic transfer signed or authorized by the city treasurer. Each check or transfer shall be based upon a voucher or payroll duly audited by the director of finance. Before signing any check or authorizing any transfer the city treasurer shall be satisfied that such check or transfer represents the payment of a duly authorized obligation of the city. The city treasurer shall keep such books and records as the director of finance shall prescribe. The city treasurer's official bond shall be a surety company bond in an amount sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the General Statutes and the ordinances. (4) The role of the city treasurer with regard to city pension funds. The city treasurer shall have the specifically delineated responsibilities pertaining to the care, custody and investment of the assets held in various of the pension and retirement funds that are maintained on behalf of current and/or former city employees and their beneficiaries, and such powers incident to such responsibilities (including the power, upon approval of the pension commission, to invest and reinvest the same and to enter contracts with qualified custodians, investment advisers and life insurance companies) all as and in the manner referred to in Chapter XII of this Charter.