The Courier Times
Henry County Council action Wednesday reversed last week's decision by the Henry County Commissioners to hire a new full-time employee to head the county's Weights and Measures Department.
"Effective immediately there is a freeze on all county hiring of full-time employees," according to one of seven county council finance committee recommendations approved by the council Wednesday. "This policy is retroactive for any unfilled positions as of August 1, 2008." As employees leave county government, according to the policy, new employees will be hired as part-time employees with no benefits.
Council members agreed the policy will be in effect at least until January 2009, or until they learn what their 2009 budget will be. The move is an effort to reduce operating expenses in the county's general fund because of the anticipated loss of revenue next year from property tax reform.
The council adopted the county's proposed 2009 budget Wednesday.
The commissioners had voted last week to hire Gilbert Hoover, an employee with the county surveyor's office, to fill the vacancy in the Weights and Measures Department that was created when Dallas Hester retired earlier this year.
Hoover has been working as a field man for County Surveyor Richard Byers.
"We've talked to our field man and he has agreed to work 15 hours a week with Dick and see how that works out," Commissioner Bill Cronk said. "He's going to work 40 hours a week, which will be 25 hours as the weights and measures person, and 15 hours as the drainage field man. I've talked to Dick and we think this will work."
"We need a man in there for additional hours to get all of the work done that needs to be done," Byers told the council Wednesday.
Hoover has agreed to fill the weights and measures position part-time, 25 hours a week, at the pay rate of $17.80 an hour, which was recommended by the county's job classification consultant, with no benefits, Cronk said, "provided that he can go ahead and help Dick with his drainage work to get us through until the end of the year."
Council approved a salary ordinance for the $17.80 hourly rate for the weights and measures position Wednesday.
Cronk said the position needed to be filled as soon as possible. He said Hoover would have to pass a state certification test before he could start working in the position.
The weights and measures inspector sets standards and uniform procedures to verify weight, volume, length or count ensuring that consumers get the quantity they pay for and that businesses sell the quantity that they advertise.
Because there is no one currently in that position, Cronk said, "the state has already had to come in and certify the scales at the new Walgreen's Store in the last week or so." Cronk said he didn't believe the state would charge the county for providing that service.
Wednesday's action appeared to have resolved the controversy that surfaced last week when the commissioners voted to fill the previous full-time weights and measures position, while the council was considering the freeze on hiring full-time employees.
Commissioner Phil Estridge said last week the council knew the position was going to be filled by a full-time person. At that time, he said he was only aware of a council finance committee hiring freeze recommendation, but no official measure passed by the council.
Council member Kim Cronk thanked the commissioners Wednesday for their cooperation in the matter.
Commissioner Bill Cronk said after Wednesday's council meeting he believed the situation was resolved, at least for now.
"I think it's just going to get us through until the end of the year," Bill Cronk said. But he said Hoover still has to be certified before he can start the job. "If he doesn't get certified, he doesn't have that job. It all hinges on him getting certified."