St. Charles County is on the move to appoint a new face to its Finance Department. County Executive Steve Ehlmann announced the selection of Mike Sommer, a local business owner with more than 30 years under his belt running Sommer & Associates, CPAs, to steer the financial future of the county. Sommer isn’t novice to public service, touting a history that includes a 12-year stint on the Francis Howell Board of Education with three years as its president.
The position, set to be effective come Jan. 1, is not just handed but requires a nod from the St. Charles County Council, which is expected to swiftly, maybe too swiftly, deliberate and vote on Sommer's nomination on Monday. Sommer’s resume boasts a breadth of community involvement: he's currently manning the helm as Advisory Board chairman for The Salvation Army of St. Charles County, and holds the purse strings as treasurer for St. Charles County Regional Crime Stoppers.
In a statement obtained by St. Charles County official news, Executive Ehlmann praised Sommer's dedication and aptitude for the finance role, "Mike has given extensively of his time to his community, and is highly qualified for the Finance Director position." Ehlmann continues to highlight that Sommer's extensive experience as a CPA is expected to "help ensure St. Charles County continues to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars."
Should the council green-light Sommer’s appointment, he will be replacing Tracy Bayne, who commendably filled the role as acting director since 2022. Ehlmann did not miss the beat to properly, and deservedly so, commend Bayne for her time at the helm, "I want to express my sincere appreciation to Tracy for her leadership of the department as its acting director," as mentioned on St. Charles County website. Praise also went out to the rest of the Finance Department staff, being hailed for their hard work dedicated to serving the citizens of St. Charles County.
