Lake County officials thaw hiring freeze, fill 28 job vacanies

BY BILL DOLAN, Times of Northwest Indiana
bdolan@nwitimes.com

CROWN POINT | The Lake County Council relaxed its hiring freeze enough Tuesday to permit county government officials to fill 28 job vacancies.

James Premeske, a member of the Team Hammond tax activists, took the council members to task for the action, questioning whether they were back-pedaling on last year's job cutting to reduce spending by $15 million.

Lake County Council President Larry Blanchard, R-Crown Point, said the council is maintaining fiscal discipline. He said none of the 28 jobs were among the 112 positions cut last year and that the 28 positions already were in the 2009 budget.

The Lake County Council imposed a hiring freeze last summer, forcing all county officials to win exemptions from the council to hire anyone. The council moved last month to extend the freeze through this year to ensure public spending doesn't rise.

Council members approved hiring within the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department, which is gearing up for its 2009 season. It also approved hires in the county prosecutor's office, the hiring of a court security officer, a radio communications specialist, two employees for the Calumet Township assessor, two for the St. John Township assessor, a chief deputy for the county clerk, a court stenographer, a court office manager and a public defender.

The council refused requests to hire two other Calumet Township assessor's employees and a court security officer and postponed action on hiring a county coroner's employee.