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The money man
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| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman Mike Long is right at home as Klamath County Treasurer. His 18-year tenure is the third longest in county history. |
Mike Long is in his 18th year as Klamath County Treasurer
By LEE BEACH
H&N Staff Writer
The signs were there early as to where Mike Long’s strengths would be — to the frustration of his older brother.
Long, now the long-time Klamath County treasurer, would do his brother’s fourth-grade math homework before he could, and he wasn’t in school yet.
“His teacher started sending math problems home for me to do,” Long recalled.
While he was at Oregon Institute of Technology, he studied accounting and finance. His elective courses were trigonometry, calculus, math and finance and introductory analysis. He now uses his aptitude for analysis, problem-solving and mathematics to present options, with advantages and disadvantages, to county commissioners and other entities and municipalities dealing with stretching dollars to meet public needs.
“I’ve worked with 17 different commissioners,” he said. “It’s been interesting. My job is, when they ask for advice, I give them facts, pro and con. I don’t give my personal opinion.”
After working for other companies for a number of years after college, he was recruited from Klamath First Federal Bank and appointed the fiscal service manager for the county in 1989.
“In 1988, they had dismantled the finance department, and they hired me to provide information to the board. In 1992, they added tax collection to the Treasurer’s Office. I was given two-and-a-half people to work with, and I still only have two-and-a-half people to work with taxes.
“Automating and using computers has made that possible,” he said. “Posting taxes used to take until February. Now we are done by Nov. 15.”
Ten people work in his office, and, although formulas for performing their jobs are programmed into computers, Long trains staff to understand how and why those formulas work.
Third-longest tenure
In 1993, Long was appointed to finish out Jean Elzner’s term. In 1994, he was elected, and since then, he was re-elected three more times.
“The first time I ran, it was a partisan position. The second time, a number of government offices, including treasurer, were made non-partisan,” he said. “I’m now the third-longest serving treasurer, after Jean Elzner and Eva Cook.“
One thing that is always constant in his office is change, as laws and federal requirements change. He has held positions on a number of state councils and organizations of treasurers and tax collectors. Through them he cultivates rapport and they share ideas.
His term as national president of the National Association of County Collectors and Finance Officers ends in July.
“We’re fighting a bill now where we would be doing some of the IRS’s work,” he said. “When there’s legislation, much of our stuff is by conference call, but sometimes I have to testify before Congress. The organizations pay for costs of going to Washington, D.C.”
His duties include managing the county’s, including all districts within the county, portfolios. He is responsible for investing an amount that varies between $120 and $180 million.
If the county changes to a charter form of government, Long said, he would still be treasurer, but there might be changes.
“They may take some of the jobs I do and put them under executive, but we really don’t know at this point how we will be affected.”
He is a certified financial master, which took five years of study to complete. Taking more classes and hours is an ongoing process, however, because of the changes in laws.
Measures 5, 48 and 50 are examples of legislation that affected what funds are available in the county for public needs.
“Old Measure 5 put a 1-1/2 percent limit on property taxes. Measures 47 and 50 created a permanent tax rate,” he said. “Before, you had a tax base with 6 percent increase each year. The impact is slower growth, depending on the community. What people should remember is the state doesn’t get money from property taxes. When taxes on property are reduced, it affects municipalities and counties.”
Long is working on the assumption the county will not get more timber receipts or, if so, only a year’s extension. Because the biggest cut is in the federal forests, he sees money for roads being most affected.
“We have some reserves, but we have 134 bridges that will have to be replaced,” Long said. We’ve been planning for the next six years. It will hurt us.”
For Long, meeting people, solving problems and serving the public have provided the greatest satisfaction in his work.
One project of which he is proud was the completion of a comprehensive annual financial report, required by the state of Oregon, a year earlier than 1999, when counties the size of Klamath had to comply.
While some counties spent as much as $2.5 million, Long and the auditing company he used spent only $10,000.
“What’s frustrating is the difference between the government and business. The government moves slower. There are a lot of factors and processes and so many different requirements, like federal studies, to get through. Then there are all these different entities.”
Something he found quite interesting was reaction he got when he once testified on an issue to representatives at the state level. After six months, they threw aside what he had said.
“Later I came back as an elected official,” he said. “As someone who was elected, they listened and took heed.” (Their attitude seemed to be), ‘We’ve been elected by the same residents. Let’s get the job done.’ My philosophy is I’m here to serve the public and represent the public.”
Long, now the long-time Klamath County treasurer, would do his brother’s fourth-grade math homework before he could, and he wasn’t in school yet.
“His teacher started sending math problems home for me to do,” Long recalled.
While he was at Oregon Institute of Technology, he studied accounting and finance. His elective courses were trigonometry, calculus, math and finance and introductory analysis. He now uses his aptitude for analysis, problem-solving and mathematics to present options, with advantages and disadvantages, to county commissioners and other entities and municipalities dealing with stretching dollars to meet public needs.
“I’ve worked with 17 different commissioners,” he said. “It’s been interesting. My job is, when they ask for advice, I give them facts, pro and con. I don’t give my personal opinion.”
After working for other companies for a number of years after college, he was recruited from Klamath First Federal Bank and appointed the fiscal service manager for the county in 1989.
“In 1988, they had dismantled the finance department, and they hired me to provide information to the board. In 1992, they added tax collection to the Treasurer’s Office. I was given two-and-a-half people to work with, and I still only have two-and-a-half people to work with taxes.
“Automating and using computers has made that possible,” he said. “Posting taxes used to take until February. Now we are done by Nov. 15.”
Ten people work in his office, and, although formulas for performing their jobs are programmed into computers, Long trains staff to understand how and why those formulas work.
Third-longest tenure
In 1993, Long was appointed to finish out Jean Elzner’s term. In 1994, he was elected, and since then, he was re-elected three more times.
“The first time I ran, it was a partisan position. The second time, a number of government offices, including treasurer, were made non-partisan,” he said. “I’m now the third-longest serving treasurer, after Jean Elzner and Eva Cook.“
One thing that is always constant in his office is change, as laws and federal requirements change. He has held positions on a number of state councils and organizations of treasurers and tax collectors. Through them he cultivates rapport and they share ideas.
His term as national president of the National Association of County Collectors and Finance Officers ends in July.
“We’re fighting a bill now where we would be doing some of the IRS’s work,” he said. “When there’s legislation, much of our stuff is by conference call, but sometimes I have to testify before Congress. The organizations pay for costs of going to Washington, D.C.”
His duties include managing the county’s, including all districts within the county, portfolios. He is responsible for investing an amount that varies between $120 and $180 million.
If the county changes to a charter form of government, Long said, he would still be treasurer, but there might be changes.
“They may take some of the jobs I do and put them under executive, but we really don’t know at this point how we will be affected.”
County funds reduced
He is a certified financial master, which took five years of study to complete. Taking more classes and hours is an ongoing process, however, because of the changes in laws.
Measures 5, 48 and 50 are examples of legislation that affected what funds are available in the county for public needs.
“Old Measure 5 put a 1-1/2 percent limit on property taxes. Measures 47 and 50 created a permanent tax rate,” he said. “Before, you had a tax base with 6 percent increase each year. The impact is slower growth, depending on the community. What people should remember is the state doesn’t get money from property taxes. When taxes on property are reduced, it affects municipalities and counties.”
Long is working on the assumption the county will not get more timber receipts or, if so, only a year’s extension. Because the biggest cut is in the federal forests, he sees money for roads being most affected.
“We have some reserves, but we have 134 bridges that will have to be replaced,” Long said. We’ve been planning for the next six years. It will hurt us.”
Highs and lows
For Long, meeting people, solving problems and serving the public have provided the greatest satisfaction in his work.
One project of which he is proud was the completion of a comprehensive annual financial report, required by the state of Oregon, a year earlier than 1999, when counties the size of Klamath had to comply.
While some counties spent as much as $2.5 million, Long and the auditing company he used spent only $10,000.
“What’s frustrating is the difference between the government and business. The government moves slower. There are a lot of factors and processes and so many different requirements, like federal studies, to get through. Then there are all these different entities.”
Something he found quite interesting was reaction he got when he once testified on an issue to representatives at the state level. After six months, they threw aside what he had said.
“Later I came back as an elected official,” he said. “As someone who was elected, they listened and took heed.” (Their attitude seemed to be), ‘We’ve been elected by the same residents. Let’s get the job done.’ My philosophy is I’m here to serve the public and represent the public.”
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