(Red Oak) The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors continued discussions on creating a part-time Budget, Finance and Human Resources Clerk position during its latest meeting, but took no final action.
County Auditor Jill Ozuna has previously told the board the position would provide support in several areas, including payroll, human resources, employee onboarding, financial and accounting functions, budget forecasting, data entry, website updates, communications, board correspondence, and other administrative duties. The proposed position would be limited to no more than 30 hours per week.
Supervisor Alex Burton said he surveyed counties both larger and smaller than Montgomery County and also spoke with local constituents. According to Burton, the people he spoke with were not in favor of adding another county position.
Ozuna responded that the feedback she has received from constituents has been supportive of adding the position.
Board Chair Charla Schmid said she would like to see a formal job description for the proposed position, along with information on where the employee would work within the courthouse.
Ozuna also asked the board whether her office had ever been late processing payroll, claims, or other required duties, suggesting her office has continued to meet its responsibilities despite its workload.
Supervisor Bryant Amos said the board could consider hiring the employee and evaluate how the position works over time.
Supervisor Mike Olson agreed additional support is needed, saying the county should “right the ship” and move forward rather than continue lengthy discussions. Olson emphasized he was not proposing a full-time, permanent position.
Amos added that the employee would provide support to multiple county offices, helping ease workloads across departments. He ultimately suggested that the board table the discussion for now and revisit the proposed hire at a future meeting, and that is how the Supervisors finished the discussion.
