Time to tango

County OKs increase in staff time for treasurer office though December

Persistence paid off for Taylor County treasurer Sarah Holtz as she came to the finance and personnel committee’s Aug. 11 meeting seeking to raise staff time in her office from 35 to 40 hours per week.

This is the third time this year Holtz has come to the committee over staff hours in her department. The county earlier this spring eliminated a thenvacant part-time position and earlier this summer approved a limited number of weeks where Holtz had the discretion to have her office work 40 hours. She was back last week asking that to be made permanent “Didn’t we do this dance once before?” asked committee member Lester Lewis.

“I am back and we are tangoing,” Holtz replied.

She explained that she understood the county was facing budget cuts. She also noted that she has two employees in her department with only 1 year under their belts and has not had the opportunity to even fully train her chief deputy because they don’t have the time in their week to do it.

“Two out of my three people are looking for other jobs,” Holtz said, saying that the major reason cited is a need to have 40 hours. She noted the change would have little budget impact since the part-time position has gone unfilled. She said the net change would be about $2,382.

“I am not asking for more money, it has already been budgeted,” she said, noting that her staff has been called on to take on additional tasks. The treasurer’s office has the job of maintaining the county tax roles, sending out tax bills and collecting property taxes. She said the treasurer’s office is the wrong place to cut.

Lewis noted the committee had already given her permission to go up to 40 hours for 12 weeks. “Those are our busy 12 weeks, no training is going on then,” she said, noting the extra hours were allowed for in July, August, November and December.

Lewis said he was willing to go to the end of budget year in December and said that in the budget process they would be looking at everything.

“We will be right back in the same boat,” Holtz said if it was only through the end of the year.

“Right now we are flying blind,” Lewis said. He said they could give it now, but they may have to take it away later. “We have to take a look at the money situation as it comes to us,” he said.

Committee member James Gebauer noted that even if the county increased the house there was no guarantee the staff members would stay.

“People can’t make ends meet,” Holtz said, cautioning that the county could end up losing a lot of good people.

Lewis said the county is in a no-win situation not being able to increase revenue to deal with increased costs. Lewis said he would make the motion to go through the end of the year, but made no promises for next year.

“I will get what I can get,” Holtz said. Committee chairman Chuck Zenner noted that in about six weeks after the county has gone through much of the budget process, they would have a better idea. “Maybe we can find something, someplace,” he said.

Committee members voted to approve increasing the treasurer office staff to 40 hours per week through the end of December with it being revisited in the budget for the future.

Veterans Service requests Taylor County won’t give more money to the Veterans Service Office to cover outside help while the department head was on leave earlier this year.

At the advice of finance director Larry Brandl, the committee took no action on the request to transfer $2,264.55 from the contingency account to cover the wages and mileage charged to Taylor County for having veterans service officers from Clark and Rusk counties cover the office here when Shellie Shaw was on nondisciplinary leave this spring. The leave had been ordered by the human resources department in consultation with the county’s labor attorney without the knowledge of the veterans service offi ce oversight committee. “If the veterans service committee didn’t order the leave why should it come out of their money?” asked board member Sue Swiantek who serves on the veterans service committee. The veterans service committee had unanimously requested the finance and personnel committee provide additional funding to cover the leave expense.

“But they get the benefit of the service provided,” Brandl replied, explaining that it has been the longstanding rule in the county in these types of situations that the expenses come out of the individual departments.

Zenner asked if they had ever reimbursed departments for those costs. Brandl said they have not, but did not rule it out as a possibility. He suggested the finance and personnel committee waiting until the end of the year and see if the department is over budget. He said if they were over budget then they could look at transferring it from contingency to balance it out.

“I think that is a good idea,” said committee member James Gebauer, agreeing to waiting to see if the department has a shortfall at the end of the year.

Committee members also turned down a request to add three personal days for benefit specialist Nikki Sherman. Shaw had made the request to the veterans service committee for Sherman to have the additional time off due to the additional work load she had taken while Shaw was on leave.

The veterans committee had directed Shaw to bring the request to the finance and personnel committee. Shaw was not at last week’s committee meeting.

Human resources director Nicole Hager said Shaw requested for her to add it to the finance and personnel committee agenda.

Committee member Rollie Thums opposed the idea of giving Sherman extra days because of the number of similar requests it could trigger going forward. “There are a whole bunch of people in this county who work hard. . . . We are not going to reward everyone who is being stressed,” he said, describing it as opening a Pandora’s box.

“Don’t you think a lot of people will feel stressed and overworked and want extra days off?” Thums asked.

Swiantek suggested that the three days may be negotiable and they should consider something. Zenner disagreed. “If we start this we will have a long line out of this hallway,” he said.

“Everybody works hard and should work hard,” Thums said, suggesting that all employees should do a little more. Committee members took no action on the request.

Things weren’t a total strike-out for the veterans service committee as committee members approved a request to make Shaw’s position full-time.

According to Hager, prior to 2016, the position was considered exempt and was salaried. In 2016, with salary requirements under federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the position at the time did not meet the $684 per week level to qualify for exempt status.

In subsequent years, as staff has changed in the offi ce, the position now meets the FLSA requirements to be exempt.

Lewis said he felt the decision was a personnel committee one and agreed with Hager that it be eligible for exempt status and made that motion. Thums noted that under county policy, exempt employees still receive compensatory time up to 20 hours. Approval of compensatory time for all department heads is made by the county human resources director.