Sumner County's Purchasing and Financial Management Committee voted to table a proposed countywide salary survey until department job descriptions and organization charts are updated and legal questions about governing private acts are clarified.

Committee member Todd moved to delay the survey while staff correct foundational data; the mayor seconded and the committee approved the motion. Members said they want current job classifications, consistent exempt/nonexempt designations, and department organization charts before spending roughly $13,000 more than last year's consultant estimate on a market salary study.

Separately, the Law Director warned the committee of a legal complication affecting the finance director appointment and other governance duties. He told the committee that County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) and county counsel had raised concerns that the 1981 private act was not repealed by later measures and that, as a result, both the 1981 act and the 2012 act may be in effect. “We are technically at the current moment operating under the 81 act and the 2012 act. And if there's a conflict, the 81 act is prevailing,” the Law Director said.

Committee members heard staff analysis that the two acts overlap on matters such as committee composition, budget-calendar requirements and penalties for failure to perform duties. The law director said certain provisions in the 1981 act — including language that makes failure to perform duties a misdemeanor and authorizes removal from office — remain in force unless repealed by the same method used to adopt the private act (a two-thirds legislative vote). He also said the 1981 act places some appointment authority for the finance director with the committee, a change from the 2012 act's language.

Given that legal uncertainty and the finance director's announced departure plans for June 30, the committee voted to ask the budget committee to appropriate funds for possible head-hunter fees so the recruitment process can begin promptly; the committee approved sending a recommendation to budget with the request that finance provide typical market costs for such searches. The committee also instructed staff to prepare an updated, detailed job description and to collect up-to-date org charts to inform a recruitment and to produce a hiring timeline that can accommodate the county's legal and budget calendar constraints.

Members asked staff and county counsel to continue consulting with CTAS and the county's auditors to clarify which provisions control in any conflict and to report back to the committee with written legal findings and a recommended recruitment timeline.