6/30/2021: Brad's last work day.  Plano Treasurer Zoila Gomez sent Brad the retirement hat.  SEP = Someone Else's Problem.

2021BradsLastWorkDay

6/29/2021: Brad's Night Out.

2021BradsNightOut

6/29/2021: Kenneth Robinson, IMTA Past President & APT Past President; Brad Bettenhausen soon to be retired, Kent Oliven, IMTA President; Michael Peterson, IMTA Past President
2021BradwIMTAnAPTproclamations

Brad's final words to the Tinley Park Board.

2021BradLastWord

Brad enjoying the moment.

2021BradMichael

Association of Public Treasurers US & C proclamation to Brad.  Presented by APT Past President Kenneth Robinson

2021ProclamationbyAPTKenneth

IMTA Proclamation and Past President shirt presented to Brad.  Presented by IMTA President Kent Oliven

2021ProclamationByKent

  

BAM (Brad Alta Michael) 2015

BAM2015

 Three Amigos: Jack Walde, Brad Bettenhausen, Michael Peterson

3 Amigos

 2003 Mary Ulrich Retirement:  Mary referred to Brad and Michael as "my boys".

2003 Brad Mary Mike

 2017 Networking

2017 0626 wb01

 2019 Institute

BettenhausenBrad 2019camo

 Scott Borror and Brad

IMG 0022

 1990's Certification

IMTA Certification in 90s

 Jack Walde's Retirement: 

Jacks Dart Board

 Marlene Blocker, Pat Chamberlin, Brad

 acMarlenePatBrad

Always festive during the holidays.

Brad 2 xmas

 

History of Brad Bettenhausen
Tidbits of a career spanning across five decades...

  • I have been honored to serve as the Fifteenth Village Treasurer in the community’s history for more than the past 37 years (37yr 4mo).
  • My ancestral relative, Christian Andres, Sr., served as the Village’s first Treasurer (1892-1908). There is also connection to John C. Funk who served as the second Treasurer (1908-1920), as well as potentially others that preceded me in this position. It’s in the bloodline…
  • I am the third generation of my immediate family to have served our community in an official capacity.

o My grandfather, Henry J. Bettenhausen, served as a Village Trustee in two separate terms. One of his greatest contributions to this community as a Trustee was spearheading efforts to include the Village of Tinley Park into the expanded service area of what is now the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in 1955. This move eliminated the need for the Village to construct, operate and maintain a sewer treatment facility – an expensive proposition which has saved the community millions of dollars and vastly improved local health & safety conditions.

o My father, Robert Bettenhausen, served as Fire Chief and Village Fire Marshal, with combined service that is longer than any other individual in the history of the Tinley Park Fire Department to date. During his leadership of the then Tinley Park Volunteer Fire Department, he intensified and continued efforts started by Ed Moss and his brother Milfred Bettenhausen that had preceded him as Fire Chief, to evolve our local fire service organization into to the professional department we have today. The Village Board, in acting on his recommendation in 1978 to outsource and contract ambulance services, has further allowed the Village to operate a professional fire department with only part-time firefighters, saving the community millions of dollars annually. He also was instrumental in the introduction of the three-digit 911 emergency service calling to Tinley Park in the early 1980s and the Village of Tinley Park was the 13th in the State to offer the service.

o Several uncles, great uncles, and a brother has also served on the Tinley Park Fire Department.

o My maternal grandfather, Loyd Mink, served as Pike County, Illinois Treasurer.

  • There are few individuals who have been in a Treasurer/Finance Director position for as long as I have. o I have served (or perhaps, survived) longer in this role than any of the 14 individuals that have preceded me.

o There are fewer individuals who have held this same type position in only one community for this long a period.

o Fewer yet that have been fortunate enough to have been able to do this in their hometown, let alone for this span of time... and without major controversy...

  • Tinley Park born and bred.
  • There are few individuals in a similar position today that know more about municipal finance in the State... or are as multi-disciplined as myself. (Ask Andrew...)
  • I have mentored, assisted and trained several Village Deputy Clerks (and others) to perform their jobs better... (ask Laura)
  • Have handled a variety of Community Development roles in planning, annexation, zoning, and economic development.
  • Equally comfortable in reading and interpreting a property legal description as a financial statement.
  • Resolved several property mysteries and errors - in one case, the clue that lead to the solution was unearthed in a court case dating back to 1892, the year the Village government was established. Its discovery came accidentally while working on the acquisition of another piece of property for the Village... (interconnectedness of all things…)
  • I have maintained the Village's Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) that drives the routing of E911 phone calls in Tinley Park since about 1998.
  • I have planned and managed a variety of public works and construction projects.
  • I have managed millions of dollars of federal, state, and other grants, both for the Village and where the Village served as agent for other regional organizations such as the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association.
  • I have been integral to the issuance, and have managed, every debt issue we have done during my tenure as well as those that were pre-existing when I started.
  • Participated in multiple calls and meetings with rating agencies which resulted in six rating upgrades in the Village bond (credit) rating from Baa (Moody’s) to the current AA+ (Standard and Poor’s). o Moody’s

o - 1978 – Baa
o - 1993 – upgraded to Baa1
o - 1995 – upgraded to A
o - 1999 – upgraded to A1
o - 2009 – affirmed A1
S&P
o - 2002 – AA
o - 2008 – upgraded to AA+
o - 2013 – affirmed AA+

  • Introduced computer automation of Village financial and other activities. (Payroll and accounts payable that were handled through a locally based service bureau when I started – everything else the Village did was done manually - including signing the checks!) There was one stand-alone PC computer in the main offices when I started and it was primarily serving as decoration and paperweight. I trained other office staff to perform certain routines on that computer to assist me with the accounting and treasury functions.
  • Physically helped to install the wiring and equipment to build the first and second (current) network environments used by the Village computer systems.
  • Provided staff training and assistance with using computers and software. Was the primary “F1” Helpdesk for many years.
  • My intimate involvement with computerization of the Village is primarily why IT had been under the Finance Department for many years.
  • Have undertaken three financial software implementations/conversions. Four if you count my initial automations to an accounting program I personally owned and that I ran on my own computer... (which I did for my own sanity). Also, undertook two implementations and conversions of building permitting programs.
  • Implemented, Improved, and Enhanced our internal controls.
  • Wrote first Village Investment Policy and received the Certificate of Excellence Award from the Municipal Treasurers Association of the United States and Canada (now known as Association of Public Treasurers Association of the United States and Canada) in 1996.
  • Improved and enhanced customer service, by phone, counter, and internet.
  • Intimately involved in the creation and amendments to all seven of the Village’s TIF Districts.
  • Served as TIF Administrator since the creation of the annual reporting requirements in 1999 for all seven TIF Districts.
  • The Government Accounting Standards Board that establishes accounting and financial reporting standards for U.S. state and local governments that follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) was established later in 1984, after I started with the Village. Their most recent guidance Pronouncement is numbered 97. I had long speculated whether they would reach 100 before I retired, as well as joked that I felt I needed to retire before they reached that 100th Pronouncement!
  • Converted the Village’s annual audit report to the current Annual Comprehensive Annual Report format in 1991 and significantly added to the base set of data tables to enhance disclosure and transparency.
  • Have been integral to providing and updating financial related disclosures on the Village’s website Transparency Portal. I will note that the Village’s overall transparency efforts greatly exceed most other governments in Illinois and beyond.
  • Initiated participation in the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting program since 1991.
  • Initiated participation in the GFOA Popular Report Award Program in 2019.
  • Initiated participation in the GFOA Budget Award Program in 2019.
  • Wrote/assembled the Village's Fiscal Policy Manual.
  • Wrote documentation of Financial Duties of the Treasurer/Finance Director and Finance Department to facilitate succession planning and sustainability of activities.
  • Developed a calendar of key financial and reporting dates to further aid in succession and sustainability.
  • Introduced an internship program which has since been adopted by other departments. Within Finance, I am proud to say that the experiences through our financial internship have helped to develop and shape many individuals who have since gone on to have successful careers, and have shown appreciation for their internship experiences as contributing to their successes.

Recognitions and Distinctions

o Outstanding Civic Leader (1990) – Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce

o Certified Municipal Treasurer – Illinois Municipal Treasurers Association

o Certified Municipal Finance Administrator – Municipal Treasurers Association of the United States and Canada (now the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada)

o Certified Illinois Government Finance Officer – Illinois Government Finance Officers Association

o Certified Government Finance Manager – Association of Government Accountants

o Certified Public Funds Investment Manager – Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada

o Outstanding Leadership Award – Municipal Treasurers Association of the United States and Canada (now the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada)

o President’s Award – Illinois Municipal Treasurers Association

Professional Organization activities/involvement

o Illinois Municipal Treasurers Association o Director, Secretary, 2nd Vice-President, 1st Vice-President, President, Past-President Advisor (every officer position EXCEPT Treasurer!), and a variety of committee chairs and memberships

o Presenter for educational sessions

o A “Shell Answer Man” or “Wikipedia” for all sorts of finance/government questions

o South Metro Chapter of Illinois Government Finance Officers Association Director

Some statistics from then and now.

o Population 1984 – 28,050 (1985 Special Census) 2021 – 56,703 (2010 Census)

o Water storage capacity 1984 – 11.5 million gallons 2021 – 21 million gallons

o Water purchased 1984 – almost 968 million gallons 2020 – over 3 billion gallons

o Utility customers 1984 – 6,953 2020 – 23,766

o Village staff (W-2s issued) 1984 – 275 2020 – 480

o Finance department staff

o 1984 – 1 (not close to enough) 2021 – 11 (not counting vacant positions - still not enough)

o Village budget expenditures (including Library) o FY1984 FY2022

o General Fund – $3.6 million General Fund – $54.5 million

o Overall – $6.6 million Overall – $113.7 million

o Village financial position o FY1984 audit FY2020 (most recent audit available)

o General Fund $1.8 million Total Assets General Fund $57.9 million

o General Fund Balance $385,000 General Fund Balance $35 million

o Total Assets All Funds $33.2 million Total Assets All Funds $249.5 million

o Fund Balance All Funds $15.1 million Fund Balance All Funds $240.8 million

o Village bonds outstanding FY1984 – $9.1 million FY2020 – $11.6 million

o Village Bond Rating 1984 – Baa 2021 – AA+ (S&P 2013)

o Police Pension Fund position and funding level o FY1984 FY2020 (most recent actuarial available)

o Actuarial Accrued Liability $3.5 million Actuarial Accrued Liability $109 million

o Net Assets $1.5 million Net Assets $79 million

o Percent Funded 44.2% Percent Funded 72.6%

o Levy requirement $249,000 Levy requirement $4.1 million

o Participants – 37 Participants – 145

 

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