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To tackle the ever-increasing financial demands of a $15 million budget and multimillion dollar road improvement projects, Liberty Twp. trustees voted Monday, May 5, to create the position of finance director.

Trustees also voted to appoint accounting specialist Kristen Bitonte to the new role.

Dina Minneci, the township's administrator, said Bitonte will be required to provide "the most efficient and effective means" of revenue and expenditure tracking, financial analyses and reporting, forecasting abilities and investment tracking.

Bitonte was the township's first and only choice for the new position because she displayed all the necessary talents, abilities and qualifications, Minneci said.

As accounting specialist, Bitonte used spreadsheets to keep track of all revenues coming from each parcel within the township's 11 residential incentive districts, plus its tax increment financing districts, Minneci said "We're getting everything down to the last penny," she said.

Since being hired in January 2006, Bitonte helped create budget forecasts, capture unclaimed revenues, curtail expenditures, ensure positive audits and provide up-to-date financial reports to the trustees and residents, Minneci said.

Trustee Christine Matacic praised Bitonte for keeping track of revenues generated by the township's "alphabet soup" of TIF districts, RIDs and joint economic development districts, commonly referred to as JEDDs.

Bitonte will be paid a starting salary of $56,513.60 per year

in her new role, which began Monday.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5126 or eschwartzberg@coxohio.com.

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