North Las Vegas selects new finance director

By Aida Ahmed

Friday, Jan. 6, 2012 | 10:31 a.m.

North Las Vegas has hired a finance director to help tackle the city's financial troubles in the new year.

Gerald Allan Zochowski’s appointment as director of finance was ratified at a city council meeting Wednesday night. His annual salary was set at $135,000 and he will begin Jan. 9.

Zochowski is replacing the acting director of finance, Al Noyola, who has held the position since June of 2010. Noyola will return to his previous post as director of administrative services.

City spokeswoman Juliet Casey said the yearlong search for a long-term finance director yielded many candidates, but Zochowski was the top pick.

Zochowski comes to the city with 30 years of experience in government operations. His most recent job was as finance director for the city of Lake Zurich, Ill. He also served as budget manager in Glenview, Ill.

The city also hired new assistant to the city manager Tim Colbert. Before coming to the city, Colbert was the director of operations for Pulte Homes.

Next fiscal year the city, which struggled to close a $30.3 million budget gap in 2011, will face a $15.5 million budget deficit. The cash-strapped city refinanced a couple of bonds last year to free up cash but it did not stop Fitch Ratings from dropping its bond rating from A+ to A.