Finding qualified applicants proving difficult

DAYTON–The Columbia County Commissioners (BOCC) reviewed applicants for the Director of Emergency Management position, as well as the County departmental budgets during the meeting on August 22.

Sheriff Joe Helm and Fire Chief Jeromy Phinney provided input on interviewed applicants for the Emergency Management Director position for the Commission to consider. Helm expressed some reservation about one of the applicants who would be moving from across the country with a work history of moving from job to job. He said his desire is to find someone who is a team player, can work well and coordinate with the Sheriff's office and the Fire District, supporting them in their roles while fulfilling their own role.

Phinney added that none of the applicants appear qualified to step in as an unsupervised director. There is no one applicant with experience in both emergency management and dispatch. It is critical we find the right person, but is concerned over losing funding already granted to the department by not having someone managing it.

They also discussed two additional applicants and scheduled to interview them at a special meeting on August 29.

The submitted department budgets were reviewed. Auditor Anne Higgins said she did not find anything alarming. Some larger departments have not submitted their budgets, but the budgets she had received were updated with payroll and benefits with a three percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for employees and five percent COLA for elected officials.

Some departments requested increases that are less than three percent which were not figured in, and the Commission will have to decide what can be given on top of the COLA. Higgins said the 2023 budget would be tighter than usual with COLAs increasing.

She added there is $950,000 left in current expense, but estimated tax payments coming expected in October is $2 million that will be added to the fund. Another $2 million remains in the beginning cash balance.