| County mulls staff changes,
litigation tax Jeremy Nash News-Herald.net County Clerk Darlene Russell came before commission Monday asking for employees to swap full- and part-time positions and for another employee to go from part time to full time. Adding the full-time position would require $6,000 more salary in next year’s budget. The employee would not require medical coverage. When Commission Chairman Steve Harrelson asked why Russell needed the additional full-time employee now instead of waiting for the next fiscal year, she said, “We’re just so busy. “I mean it’s just more than we can handle,” Russell said.
Russell may also need an
additional full-time employee in
the future to help with driver’s
license renewals. She said the
state planned to visit her
office Monday to get started on
the new service. No timeline has
been set on when it will be
offered to the public.
“We’ve got an opportunity in
what I think is the busiest
office in our county to pick up
— it’s going to be a wash on
one, but ... for $6,000 we’re
going to have the opportunity to
create that full-time spot,
eliminate one of our part-time
spots and it’s just at $6,000
that’s a steal,” Mayor Rollen
“Buddy” Bradshaw said. “... I
think this is an outstanding
opportunity for us to — and I
know the lawsuit’s still out
there and it has been for three
years now.
“Is the timing perfect? No, but
I think this is a great
opportunity for us to help one
of our busiest offices, if not
the busiest office, in the
county,” he added.
Commissioner Van Shaver motioned
for Russell’s request be
deferred to the budget committee
for 2017-18 budget
consideration. Commissioner
Matthew Tinker seconded Shaver’s
request. The vote passed 7-2,
with Commissioners Leo Bradshaw
and Bill Satterfield opposing.
Commissioner Earlena Maples was
absent.
“Swapping ships in the middle of
the budget cycle is just kind of
what we shouldn’t do even if it
doesn’t take new money,
whatever, we know it will be at
the end of this (year),” Shaver
said. “Currently, no insurance
is needed but there’s no
guarantee that that couldn’t
change a short while later. That
could add another anywhere from
$8,000-$14,000 to the cost. I
would like to see the budget
committee incorporate that
discussion, and maybe even the
driver’s license discussion, in
the ‘17-’18 budget process.”
Harrelson said he was in favor
of holding off until the next
fiscal year.
“She does have a very busy
office,” Harrelson said. “I mean
anytime you come in here they’re
just stacked up waiting in line
to take care of their business.
But I also have been a proponent
of we’ve got a budget set for
this year. Any changes in staff
and considerations for changes
in staff for any department I
think ought to be dealt with
during the budget process, which
should start soon.”
Litigation tax on hold
Commission decided to take a
litigation tax resolution off
the agenda until local state
legislators could get better
clarification on wording from a
bill that could potentially
allow the county to add $50 more
to court fees. The resolution
would have been sent to the
state legislature to get the
county’s name on a bill.
Ninth Judicial District Attorney
General Russell Johnson at last
month’s workshop said the
resolution was just a way to get
on the bill and that an
additional vote with two-thirds
majority would need to take
place at a later date to
actually approve the litigation
tax.
“There was a little bit of
conflict on whether the first
vote not only included us on the
bill but is also when it gets
passing instituted in Loudon
County,” Buddy Bradshaw said in
a follow-up interview. “It’s
supposed to be two separate
votes and there was some
questions on the language. The
language didn’t match up 100
percent, so when I talked to
Rep. (Jimmy) Matlock and he
asked if we’d mind putting it on
pause just for until the next
commission meeting and I was
fine with that.”
He said state Sen. Randy
McNally, R-Oak Ridge, also
wanted to get more clarification
on the wording.
“They’ll go ahead and do a
caption bill, so we’ll go ahead
and be in good shape as far as
being able to address it next
month and still get it to the
state legislators again,”
Harrelson said in a follow-up
interview.
Shaver asked for Michael Brady
Inc., to attend this month’s
workshop to discuss a jail
addition.
In other news, Loudon County
Commission:
• Approved no match grants for
Loudon County Health Department.
• Agreed to present Greenback
School for its football team’s
success.
• Passed a $2,000 contribution
from the County General Fund to
East Tennessee Foundation to
establish a community affiliate
fund. Both municipalities in
Loudon County have also
contributed.
• Approved amendments in County
General Fund, Public Libraries
Fund, Highway Department Fund
and Education Capital Projects
Fund.
• Rezoned 5.18 acres on a
property on Highway 411 South in
Greenback from Rural Residential
to General Commercial. |
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2/15/17