AUBURN – City and school finances are too different to make sharing one finance director a good idea, according to the acting city manager.

“Nobody I’ve talked to has been able to point to an instance where this has been done and worked,” Laurie Smith, Auburn’s acting manager told councilors Monday. “There are similarities in what they do. Both handle finances, but the systems are different and the jobs expected are different.”

Councilors suggested the idea last week as a way to fill the city’s vacant finance director job. Chris Trenholm resigned the position last fall. Denise Brown has been filling in as acting director since he stepped down.

Councilors suggested Jude Cyr, the school district’s business manager could fill the spot well, and asked to discuss the idea at Monday’s workshop meeting.

Cyr has his hands full already, meeting state budgeting requirements, Smith said.

“Perhaps when the school is through we could revisit,” Smith said.

But a city finance director is a very different job than a school business manager. Schools use a cash-accounting system while the city uses a general ledger. The business manager also handles project management duties for the schools.

“In some ways, it’s very much like an assistant superintendent,” Smith said.

Smith said she discussed the idea with the city’s auditors, Portland firm Runyon, Kersteen and Ouelette. The city of Portland had tried combining the jobs before.

“But it ended up with the assistant finance director acting like a business manager for the schools and they eventually hired a new business manager after all,” she said.

Councilors agreed to simply fill the city’s vacant job.

“But once all this haziness from the state has cleared up, we may be better able to head in that direction,” Councilor Ron Potvin said. “We can head to that direction, eventually. But to do it now, I wouldn’t want to be in that kind of a position.”