By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Brian Bushong came to city government at the start of one financial calamity, and he is leaving as another crisis is nearing an end.
Despite the jokes, he bears no responsibility for the recession nor the pandemic.
But Bushong does get some credit for the calm financial leadership that steadied the ship during some very rough waters.
“He demonstrated right away the ability to navigate challenging times,” said Bowling Green Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter. “He’s become a very trusted forecaster.”
Bushong had planned to retire as city finance director last year – but Mayor Mike Aspacher asked him to stick it out until the city got through the worst of COVID-19.
Bushong agreed. His last day on the job will be July 2.
Bushong has always been a numbers guy, working as fiscal officer for Wood County Human Services, then at the University of Toledo, and then joining the city administration in 2008.
That’s when the bottom fell out of the economy.
“Things were going along pretty well,” he said. Then it became clear that the recession was more than a blip on the radar. “I thought, wait a minute, this is really having an impact.”
Bushong had dealt with rough financial issues in the past – with declining enrollment at UT and cuts to resources. But this was different.
City leaders quickly found out that in addition to being a wiz with numbers, he was also a professional at preventing panic.
During both the recession and pandemic, when many municipalities were making rash cuts to people and programs, Bushong steered toward a more measured approach to maintain staff and services.
“The challenge has been when the economy takes a downturn,” Bushong said. “You’re constantly trying to figure how to juggle so we can maintain as many services as possible and staffing.”
In 2008 the city did not lay off any employees, but people who retired were not replaced.
“I don’t feel like we panicked,” he said. However, Bushong did suggest that he may have been “paddling like crazy underwater,” while remaining calm on the surface.
Bushong has a command of the technology needed for the job, was able to analyze different scenarios to find the best route forward, Tretter said. He was then able to explain those complicated financial issues in ways that made sense to those who weren’t numbers people.
“He has a way of taking something really broad and complex and making it understandable,” Tretter said.
Bushong pointed out that there was more than a decade as financial director for the city when there were no big financial crises to juggle.
“We had some years we weren’t in panic mode,” he said with a smile.
Bushong has worked under three mayors – starting with John Quinn, followed by Dick Edwards, and now Mike Aspacher.
“Each mayor had little differences in the things they were interested in,” Bushong said. But there was one major similarity.
“They have all been consistent in how can we do as much as we can, as efficiently as possible,” he said. “I always felt we were pulling in the same direction.”
The administration has always been supportive of making technology changes that improve services and efficiencies, he said. Since being in office, Bushong has pushed for and succeeded in getting rid of the previously required “triplicate” paper copies.
“We changed the process that saves time and effort, and ultimately dollars,” he said. “It’s been nice to work with people open to that.”
Bushong also streamlined the purchase order process, so weeks weren’t wasted on mundane tasks that could be completed in a day.
The city and Bushong have also shared the same philosophy about the big financial picture for the community.
“The city’s always been very conservative in that approach,” he said.
That’s not to say the city won’t undertake massive projects, he said, listing off some of the more recent big capital projects like the widening of North Main Street, the new city pool, the roundabouts at I-75, and the current plans to build a new city administration building.
The city has approximately 300 employees and an annual budget of about $150 million.
Many of those employees are members of the five unions that represent police, fire, public works and electric workers.
“We’ve really enjoyed good relations with the unions – that’s not an accident,” he said.
Bushong said he won’t miss the day-to-day routine of “things you have to do to keep things running.”
But he will miss the strategic planning, brainstorming and visioning for the city.
“I’ve always enjoyed that,” he said.
And he will miss his co-workers.
“I’ve loved all the people,” he said.
The city has hired Dana Pinkert to be the next finance director. She currently works in municipal finances in Lancaster, South Carolina, and before that in Ashtabula, Ohio.
In retirement, Bushong hopes to spend more time on his hobbies of music and photography. With his undergraduate and master’s degrees in music, Bushong played trumpet for years with the Tower Brass quintet. He continues to play with the BG Community Band, the Community Jazz Band, and the Adrian Symphony.
“I’ve just always had an interest in it,” he said, explaining that music and finances are closely linked through rhythm and complexity. “A lot of musicians find the same.”
He and his wife, Sara, plan to remain in Bowling Green, where they have made their home since 1982.
“We love the community,” Bushong said.
