Williamson County approves restructuring EMA deputy director role into two part-time positions

The Williamson County board approved a request from the county’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to change a funded deputy-director position into two part-time positions, each capped at 19 hours per week, with a combined salary allocation of $41,600.

The EMA director (name not specified at the meeting) proposed the change to attract applicants who would not commit to a 40-hour workweek and said the county could mirror Franklin County’s practice of using part-time firefighters and emergency personnel for similar roles. “My recommendation…is to allocate the $41,600 to be able to split that into two part-time positions,” the director said.

Board members raised operational concerns. One commissioner cautioned that changing the salary position to hourly staff could create overtime exposure during extended incidents and might trigger IMRF and insurance enrollment if hours became regular. The EMA director acknowledged that overtime would be an upfront cost in the event of a large disaster but noted that declared disasters and federal reimbursement have covered overtime expenses in prior events.

The board discussed a trial approach and an ability to adjust the staffing model during the next budget cycle. The approved motion set the two positions at 19 hours per week each and authorized the director to proceed with hiring under that allocation; board members said the arrangement could be revisited if it proved impractical.

Key figures discussed at the meeting: the original single deputy-director salary allocation was $36,400 (without benefits); the proposed combined allocation for two part-time hires is $41,600; the county’s IMRF threshold cited during discussion was $45,900. Commissioners and staff agreed to monitor overtime and benefit eligibility and to consider a budget adjustment if necessary.