By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Confusion over a phrase in the county’s budget ordinance was cleared up Monday night.
It will be County Manager Jim Varner’s decision if a vacant position in Columbus County government is an essential position.

If Varner and a department head don’t agree on what defines essential, it then would come to the Board of Commissioners for clarification. No new positions are to be created.

“What I hoped is that we would look over vacant positions before advertising, possibly to see if through attrition we could become a little meaner and leaner operation,” said Commissioner Bill Memory. He made the original motion passed with the budget and had pushed for a hiring freeze earlier in the year that appears to have not slowed any hiring.

“I need a recommendation – anybody got any ideas?” Memory asked the board.

Commissioner Amon McKenzie said he was under the impression vacant positions could be filled without prior approval if someone left.

“It needs to be decided before it is advertised,” Prevatte said.

“Rossie Hayes (Animal Control) is in dire need and so is the Department of Aging,”
Commissioner Lynwood Norris said of positions not filled because of the understanding they couldn’t be filled without the board’s permission.

“We don’t want to lose any money,” Memory said of positions that might be part state or federally funded.

Memory explained he wants the question to be asked, “Do we really need this?”

“Let us make the final decision,” Memory asked.


Prevatte disagreed. “It goes back to the state statutes – the power to hire and fire lies with the manager,” he said. “He should have enough knowledge to know if it will affect funding.”

“If the cook quits, you’ve got to eat,” Prevatte said in reference to a cook at the jail who quit.
“We will have no new hires,” he clarified, meaning no new positions created.

“I think it’s pretty clear,” Commissioner Ricky Bullard said.

“Leave discretion to the manager and department head?” Memory questioned.

Aging Director Ed Worley said the situation made things difficult for him to replace certified nursing assistants at the department’s Home Health agency.

“In-home aid coordinators deal with stuff every morning,” Worley explained, pointing out the turnover rate is high with as many as five or six quitting in one morning.

“Call him,” Prevatte said, pointing to Varner.

Varner said Worley had called twice that day.

The board agreed to amend the policy to read that the issue be brought before the board at the manager’s discretion.

“No department head or myself can create a new position,” Varner said. “If you’ve got 493 positions next year you’ve got 493 positions.”

“I don’t want department heads doing the hiring. I want you doing the hiring,” Prevatte told Varner.

“Anything we have a little doubt about we will talk to you about at a meeting,” Varner said.
“If they (the positions) are already set, they don’t need to come back before the board,” Chairman Sammie Jacobs said.

Memory pointed out that defeated the purpose of his motion to eliminate non-essential positions.

“I was trying to possibly reduce the size of the Columbus County workforce – I was trying to save a dollar,” Memory said. “I don’t want anybody laid off but through attrition I was trying to save. That’s the name of the game.”

He added that there might be ways to save money by employees transferring to other departments when positions become vacant.

He added if there is a position that the county can hold off on filling, that too could save the county money.

McKenzie said vacant positions needed to be filled according to the manager’s discretion. “Let us know what has transpired,” he told Varner.

“It’s confusing to us –no wonder it’s confusing to them,” McKenzie said.

“How would you define non-critical?” Varner asked.

“It’s something you can do without,” Bullard replied.

“If you don’t want to increase taxes, every position is frozen,” Interim Finance Director Leo Hunt said. He said Varner should meet with the department head and if it’s not essential it should be frozen.

“Keep in mind you’ve cut every place else but you didn’t fix the problem,” Hunt declared. “If you wait around you will have to (do) a reduction in force.”

“We have a hard enough time recruiting social workers as it is,” Interim DSS Director Mary Thompson said, pointing out holding off on advertising would only make the process more difficult.

“Pass this and rescind the other thing,” Varner suggested.

“The manager makes the call,” Jacobs said.

He added that he appreciated department heads’ input.

“Believe it or not we are not seven wise men up here,” Jacobs said.