$277,000 and Counting - The Hon P. DeWitt Cason, the man that signs the checks speaks out
Columbia County, FL (posted June 21, 2010 10:30 am)
The helter-skelter world of Columbia County continued at this past Thursday's County Commission meeting when the County Commission once again demonstrated that modern world finance, accountability and plain old common sense aren't even a dream of the legendary Columbia County Commission.
The County Manager's 12th hour memo is available here.
While Florida struggles with unemployment at over ten percent, the impact of the Gulf Oil Spill is wreaking havoc with Florida's economy, and state and local governments all over the country are tightening their belts and consolidating, County Manager Dale Williams, with only hours notice, sprung on the public a request to authorize four new county positions at a proposed cost of up to $259,000, not including benefits.
The
County's talented HR Director, Michelle Crummit, is
routinely left out of the loop in HR decisions.
In most places in the civilized world, the HR Director would have made a presentation to the Board substantiating with statistics, studies, and research, facts and figures justifying the new positions. In Columbia County the HR Director didn't know the proposed positions were on the Board's agenda.
County Manager Williams did not bring professionally prepared job descriptions to the Commission. There were no minimum experience or education requirements mentioned during his presentation.
While the usual minimum education requirement to work for the good old boys in Columbia County is a GED or equivalent, it would appear that in these positions -- anything goes.
If the present trend in Columbia County continues, the salary levels of new hires are in an inverse proportion to one's education, i.e., the more one makes – the less education one needs.
The Board approved the $71,000 Senior Staff Assistant position with a nod and a wink. County Manager (CM) Williams' explanation of where the funding was to come from to fund this position was hilarious. He said he would cut the budget, but he didn't explain where and no one asked any questions.
Former call center director, Doug Brown and Sheriff
Hunter. There has been trouble at the call center
for some time.
Once again, the 911 call center is a mess and is getting reorganized. The Board voted to demote the present director to radio repairman at what appears to be the same salary he earned as director, $55,500. Then they voted to hire a new 911 Director.
On Friday morning the Sheriff was to meet with the County Manager, the City Manager and the Lake City Police Chief to discuss the problems at the call center.
When your reporter mentioned to Sheriff Hunter that he would like to attend the meeting, he was told that it was "closed." The Sheriff explained that he was just meeting to go over a power point presentation that he was planning to present at a future meeting.
Clearly, the most bizarre request by CM Williams was his new suggested Compliance Officer, at a top salary of $61,589. It appeared that he wanted to clone Lake City's City Clerk, Audrey Sikes, and get her going at the county to do the work that the county staff is already doing.
Including benefits, the rubber stamp County Commission approved three of the four positions presented by the CM. The cost -- $277,000.
Unable to clone Ms. Sikes, the Board did not approve the Compliance Officer position.
This is shaping up to be a tough year for the pocketbooks of the working families of Columbia County.
