New Finance Director On Board

Arriving in the midst of the town’s annual budgetary process, Kevin Kane likely could not have picked a busier time in which to start his new job as director of town and school finances.

Kane, who has been director of finance and treasurer for the town of Simsbury since 1994 and served for two years as finance director in Branford, has been chosen to succeed Rosemary Hanson in the dual role that is required of Clinton’s chief fiscal administrator.

While Clinton’s school finances had long been managed by a finance director, Hanson was hired in 1996 as the first person to directly oversee the town side of the ledger. She was successful in convincing town and school officials in giving her both jobs after the abrupt departure of school finance director Ed White in 2000.

First Selectman William Fritz said the added dimension of the Clinton job should not prove difficult for Kane to master. A certified public accountant with a master’s degree in business administration, Kane had a diverse array of responsibilities in Simsbury, including oversight of finance, information technology, revenue collection, and property valuation, and worked closely with Simsbury’s school business director, Fritz said.

Kane’s work experience includes stints with private certified accounting firms and 10 years with Northeast Utilities, first as a staff accountant and then as a financial analyst.

Hanson, now Oxford’s finance director, resigned last November just as town and school officials began their annual budget preparation. While she returned to assist Clinton officials as she could, much of the budget burden fell on Fritz and school Superintendent Jack Cross. Fritz, for one, was relieved to have her replacement at work.

Chosen from three finalists out of an initial applicant pool of 34, Kane impressed town and school officials with his professional experience and accomplishments, as well as with his personable nature.

"I am looking forward to the challenge of a new town," said Kane in his office on the bottom floor of Andrews Memorial Town Hall. "Clinton is a great little town. I look forward to serving the town and making a difference."

Fritz said of him, “He’s got a lot of energy, and he’s very personable, which is an important quality when you have to deal with all sorts of people as you do here. And he did his homework on our town before coming down to talk to us.”

“He’s a CPA by trade, and very analytical. You have to be objective in this job,” Fritz observed. “When we spoke to his references, we liked what we heard.”

The New Britain resident has been responsible for all of Simsbury’s municipal financial operations, including budget preparation, capital improvement plans, debt financing, and pensions, as well as administering the town’s insurances.

During his tenure Simsbury was awarded 11 consecutive certificates for excellence in financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association and was an early implementer of the latest Government Accounting Standards Board practices for financial statements.

Kane will earn $120,000 as Clinton’s dual finance director, slightly more than he earned in Simsbury and significantly more than was paid Hanson.

“We knew we were going to have to pay more,” Fritz said, “But it’s still a big savings when compared to having two finance directors (for town and school finances). According to the Connecticut Council of Municipalities, towns are paying $80-100,000 for each position.”