Jim Serba is done complaining about the issues in the Waynesboro treasurer’s office. The retired retail-store troubleshooter wants to do something about it.
“I’m not going to blast anybody. Everybody is trying to do the best that they can. But from what I’ve read, things are basically out of control in that office, and somebody needs to go in and clean it up,” said Serba, who is mounting a write-in campaign for the treasurer’s job that is up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election.
Treasurer Sandee Dixon and 2005 treasurer’s candidate Stephanie Beverage are on the ballot. Dixon has come under fire for four consecutive unfavorable audit reports from the state auditor’s office, the most recent detailing a continued lack of an internal-control system in the office and the improper use of an in-house accounting system.
“It’s such a mess down there. In retail, we call it a broken store. Well, that’s what I do. I go in and clean up broken stores – that have audit problems, financial problems, can’t make any money, sales stink, customer service is terrible,” Serba told the AFP Monday morning.
Serba retired in July after 34 years in the retail industry. He said he had given serious thought to trying to get on the ballot as a candidate for the treasurer’s job earlier this year but backed off because city finance director Pat Nicosia had declared her candidacy for the job.
“I thought, Well, I know Pat, and she’d do a good job,” Serba said of Nicosia, who decided this summer to withdraw her name from the ballot.
Serba is aware that it will be difficult to win a write-in campaign.
“But I wouldn’t be doing this if I thought I’d fail,” said Serba.
“You can do it. If you have help, and you have people who actually want to help. Because the problem is, we’ve got problems that need to be fixed. It’s really embarrassing,” Serba said.
– Story by Chris Graham
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