The city of Cassville has hired a Cassville High School graduate with 20 years accounting experience to be the new finance officer.
Monzell Hagins, a 1999 Cassville graduate, has worked for the city of Cassville since April 2021 as deputy clerk. On June 1, she will become the city’s finance officer/deputy clerk, and she’s excited for the new role.
“I started taking classes in 2022 with the Government Finance Officer Association, and I have passed the Accountant Academy, which has allowed me to enroll in the Certified Public Finance Officer training,” she said. “when i finish those courses, working at my own pace, I will be a CFO. I hope to finish in three years.”
Hagins’ deputy clerk duties include handling the city’s fixed assets, backing up the city clerk at council meetings, handling payables and setting up new vendors. On June 1, she will add budgeting and audits to that list.
“I’m really looking forward to it because budgeting is interesting to me,” she said. “I want to make sure we support the community by spending funds appropriately. I also hope to get more done with the funding we have.”
Under former Finance Officer Isaac Peterson, the city passed a budget with revenues and expenditures at $2,042,715. Revenue projections are up 6.9 percent, with sales taxes projected down 10 percent and expenses up 8.5 percent.
Hagins said she will jump right into the 2024 budget once the transition is final.
“I will be working on the 2024 budget immediately with the goal of getting through that,” she said. “In July, I will also publish my first six-month finance statement in the paper, and I am excited about that because I have never done it before.”
Prior to working for the city, Hagins was a corporate accountant with EFCO and Fasco (now Regal) for a total of 20 years. She also served as the treasurer of Cassville Mighty Mite Football for 13 years, retiring from that post last year.
“I have lived in Cassville most of my life,” she said. “I am a mother of three, one graduate and two high schoolers, and my husband also works for the city.”
