Steffenhagen looks to modernize department as Chicopee’s new city auditor

The City Council interviews Tiana Steffenhagen for the city auditor position during a special City Council meeting on May 14.
Photo credit: ChicopeeTV

CHICOPEE — The Chicopee City Council has appointed Tiana Steffenhagen as the new city auditor, tasking the official with overseeing municipal finances, conducting independent reviews of city spending and ensuring transparency and accountability across all departments.

Steffenhagen was interviewed and eventually appointed as Chicopee’s next city auditor during a special City Council meeting on May 14.

The position has been vacant since former City Auditor Sharyn Riley announced her retirement in February after more than four decades serving the role. Riley died recently on May 11.

Chicopee City Treasurer Maria Laflamme joined the meeting to offer her condolences to the Riley family and show her public support for Steffenhagen.

“[Riley] was a total asset to this city for many years. She’s my partner here at City Hall and going to truly miss her.” Laflamme stated.

As for Steffenhagen, Laflamme said, “I’ve worked with her for more than 13 years now, and her professionalism, her work ethic, I can stay here for a while to tell you the great things she’s done.”

Steffenhagen has worked in Chicopee for over 19 years, 15 of which were spent as an assistant city auditor alongside Riley.

“The role comes with transparency and confidentiality,” Steffenhagen said. “The Auditing Department itself is considered a confidential office, so it wouldn’t be hard just to continue as I have been in the assistant position. It would just transition over as the auditor, but I definitely would have to step back in less of a role as a peer and more of a supervisory position.”

Steffenhagen said she would like to start utilizing more of the technology that is available to help streamline and improve the department.

“A lot of processes have been done manually, all these years, and they have worked. They’re tried and true, but they’re very time-consuming. So, if we were able to explore our EERP, which is our accounting system, more and what it could offer us, I think it would help streamline calculations of different things, retros, projection of salaries.”

When it comes to the possible use of using artificial intelligence, Steffenhagen said she has signed up for some AI courses through the governor’s office, but has yet to explore them. She said she would like to do more research on the technology.

“I definitely would want to look into them as far as using them for budgeting and projecting, but I have also learned that AI isn’t always the end-all. It definitely requires some research on an actual person’s part,” she said.

Steffenhagen also discussed some items she would like to see modernized by this time next year. Specifically, she wants to make the budget book more transparent and readable to the general public.

Right now, the report is printed from the department’s system and is hard for most people to understand, according to Steffenhagen.

She shared that she has lived in Chicopee for “pretty much” her whole life and attended Chicopee Public Schools. Her history with the city is one of the reasons why she applied for the vacant position.

“I want this position because I’ve been here for so long, which isn’t a reason, but it’s more, I’m devoted to Chicopee. I live here, I’ve worked here for so long,” Steffenhagen stated. “My children go to the schools. I want to help and see it thrive, and I think within this position, I’d be able to do that.”

Steffenhagen also acknowledged that other neighboring cities and towns are struggling with their budgets and said she wants to start forecasting now to prevent those same budgetary problems in Chicopee.

“I definitely see how the communities around us are struggling, and it’s not to say that Chicopee is not without those struggles; it’s just we were better prepared for it. We are going to have our own struggles. As far as trying to weather the storm, that’s why I want to start projecting now, as far as what our fiscal years ahead of us are going to be, Steffenhagen said. “But definitely, it’s starting to project ahead of time and see where we can save money, how can we change things?”

The City Council unanimously approved appointing Steffenhagen as the city’s next city auditor.