Tammy Mortaloni

TOWER— After considerable discussion, the Tower City Council voted unanimously to offer the city clerk-treasurer position to Breitung Township resident Tammy Mortaloni. It came down to qualifications, which council members all agreed weighed in Mortaloni’s favor.

Council member Joe Morin noted that the city’s charter, which spells out the criteria for selecting the city’s top administrator, requires the council to hire “solely on the basis of his/her training, experience, executive, and administrative qualifications.”

On that score, with Mortaloni’s experience as a business manager, court supervisor, paralegal, and current Greenwood Township Treasurer, along with a four-year degree in business administration and finance, council members all agreed that Mortaloni was the stronger candidate.

At the same time, council members agreed that the other finalist, Jolene Mroszak, had other attributes, such as good organizational and people skills, that made her a viable candidate for the position as well. Indeed, the motion to hire Mortaloni reflected that, adding that should the city and Mortaloni be unable to reach an agreement on compensation and other particulars, they would offer the job to Mroszak.

The outlines of a compensation package weren’t immediately available. Mayor Dave Setterberg and Morin were planning to meet soon to determine the final offer. The job posting had listed a salary range of $60,000-$80,000 depending on experience.

The job entails a wide range of duties, including overseeing all city employees, city facilities, city parks, including the city-owned campground, airport, fire department and ambulance, as well as supporting city committees and commissions attending council meetings and preparing meeting minutes. In addition, it entails extensive financial work, including city bookkeeping, grant writing, and assisting with annual financial audits.

Assuming the city and Mortaloni reach agreement on a compensation package, she would replace Michael Schultz in the position. Schultz recently accepted the city administrator job in Biwabik after four years with the city. Mortaloni would be the fourth clerk-treasurer in Tower in the past eight years. A start date has not yet been determined.

Mortaloni’s experience

Mortaloni would bring considerable financial experience, including service as township treasurer in Greenwood and as a past business manager for Idea Drilling, during which she managed office staff and a survey crew, managed IT, web development, as well as preparing monthly financials, annual budgets, bid jobs, and tax preparation. Mortaloni holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing and finance from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

She also worked as court operations supervisor for the Sixth Judicial District, supervising employees in family and civil court proceedings, and posted orders and other court documents into the state online system.

Mortaloni said she also has significant experience in grant writing, which is another significant part of the clerk position.

Mortaloni is also the owner/operator of her own business, 50 Plus Homes LLC, which buys, renovates, and either resells or manages the properties.