October 23, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss is going to get another full time employee in his office.
During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the county commission voted 13-1 to approve the budget committee’s recommendation that Poss’ request for a budget amendment in the amount of $15,896 be adopted to make a part time position full time for the pay period October 29, 2018 to June 30, 2019. The funds will be taken from the county’s fund balance (cash reserves) to pay for it. This will give County Clerk Poss a total of four full time employees in his office in addition to himself.
Before the vote, Fifth District Commissioner Jerry Adcock, who is also a member of the Budget Committee moved that Poss’ request be delayed until at least next spring. He said funding requests for additional employees in county offices during the year, after the budget has been set, is setting a bad precedent
“Mr Chairman I would like to make a motion that we delay this until the budget meetings we have in the spring. We do not know what we are going to have. We don’t know what the schools are going to offer or anybody else. We’re going to be setting a precedent that anybody from any department who walks in here anytime during the year and asks for something that we’re going to have to have a meeting,” said Adcock.
The motion died for the lack of a second.
Adcock then called out County Mayor Tim Stribling saying he did not give adequate public notice of last week’s budget committee meeting.
“I would also like to point out that you sent emails to us all on the budget committee, correct?. Was the newspaper and radio notified?, asked Adcock
“Yes”, responded Stribling.
“The consensus is according to Ben Rogers (County Technical Advisory Service) is 10 days (notice) before (meeting)
“It just says reasonable notice,” answered County Attorney Hilton Conger
First District Commissioner Dennis Slager moved that the new employee position and budget amendment be approved. Sixth District Commissioner Matt Adcock offered a second to the motion. All but Jerry Adcock voted in favor.
During last week’s budget committee meeting, County Clerk Poss said the workload in his office has increased over the last four years with more services added to better accommodate the public and the county has benefitted from the increased revenues those services have generated.
“For example in 2013 three thousand titles were produced in DeKalb County. As of December this year we’re expected to hit near 14,000 new titles produced in this county, creating a revenue difference going from $20,000 in 2013 to $120,000 in 2018. That is a substantial increase in title production and that is going to continue bringing in more money for the county,” he said.
Poss said overall his office has consistently collected more fees than budget projections each year.
“In four years since beginning 2014 to 2018 our office has been above projections every year. We’re just shy of $100,000 above projections of fees in a four year period and we have been up every year in total annual receipts since 2014. In just the last two years we have had an increase of $285,000 from the year 2014-15 to 2016-17. We are averaging $20,000 a month in excess fees to the Trustee. I would not be here if there was not a real need but my office needs the employee to do the amount of work we are doing,” said County Clerk Poss.