City accounting in good hands

Sandy Haston and Arminta Woods are well known to McMinnville city employees. Without these two working as a team, no city employee would get paid and nothing would get done financially.

“We receive and disperse the city’s money,” said Haston, general accountant.

“We do anything that needs to be done,” added Woods, water and wastewater, street aid, solid waste collection and disposal accountant.

Woods has worked for the city of McMinnville as an accounting technician for 27 years. She keeps records of water, sewer, taxes, grants, payments and loans, and easements of waterlines every time new lines are added.

“This is what I was meant to do,” said Woods of the huge responsibility connected to her job. “When I was hired, I had five days of training before I started. It was overwhelming.”

Haston has worked for the city as an accounting technician for 14 years. Her responsibilities include making sure police, fire, Civic Center, urban forestry, vehicle maintenance and public works, as well as many other city departments get paid.

“We’re like one big family,” said Haston. “When I was hired, I had no training at all but Arminta was there for me.”

As the city has grown, so have the responsibilities of the city’s accountants, says Haston. “Every once in a while they change our job titles, which just adds more for us to do,” she said.

Currently, Haston and Woods are referred to as accountant technicians. In a nutshell, they make sure the money that comes in goes where it needs to go and that things gets paid. Whatever their title, not much happens in the city without going through these two.

“We really do have a good working relationship,” said Woods. “Sandy has been there for me, and I’m there for her.”