Wickliffe and Eastlake Share Finance Director

Wickliffe city leaders recently voted to make the finance director position part-time. Michael Matas will now split his work hours between Wickliffe and Eastlake. The change is meant to lower costs for both communities while keeping the finance job covered and running smoothly.

Under the new plan, Matas will work in Wickliffe on Mondays and Wednesdays, plus every other Friday. His annual pay from Wickliffe is set at eighty-five thousand dollars. That amount includes dental and life insurance benefits. The two cities are still working out the exact details in a separate agreement.

Mayor Joe Sakacs said Matas was offered an opportunity in Eastlake, which led the two cities to work out a shared arrangement. Sakacs noted Matas has improved the finance department since he started about a year ago. He described Matas as someone who goes above and beyond for the city. Sakacs believes Matas can handle the shared role and still do good work for both towns.

The ordinance states that finance director duties can be done well on a part-time, shared basis. Both Wickliffe and Eastlake are looking for better budget efficiency for their residents. The city expects to get the same level of productivity at a lower cost, though exact savings numbers have not been released.