Daniels County authorizes up to 540 annual hours for on-call treasurer clerk after debate

Daniels County commissioners voted on June 2 to budget up to 540 hours per year for an on-call (PRN) clerk to support the county treasurer’s office, endorsing a ‘come-as-needed’ backup rather than restoring the previous half-time position.

The motion — approved in a roll call during the meeting — set a not-to-exceed annual budget of 540 hours for the backup role. The commissioners debated options ranging from closing the office for an hour each day to hiring a part-time or half-time employee; they settled on a limited-hours, on-call model intended for busy filing periods and unexpected absences.

Why it matters: the treasurer’s office handles cash, tax receipts and motor-vehicle work; commissioners framed the decision around internal controls, continuity of services and training demands created by the state’s CARS motor-vehicle system.

Treasurer Julie described operational strain in her office and urged commissioners not to eliminate the backup position. “I cannot stress enough how far behind I am right now,” Julie said, describing training needs for a newer staff member and the workload added by the state CARS program. Julie warned of internal-control risk if a single staffer is left alone in the office: “You never want 1 person counting the cash drawer. You never want 1 person making the deposits,” she said.

Opponents argued about time management and cost. One commissioner urged a limited-lunch-hour rotation rather than an on-call hire, saying supervisors had seen part-time positions misused in the past. Commissioners who supported the PRN approach said a small, budgeted backup allocation — modeled on the library’s similar contingency budget — preserves continuity without restoring a full or half-time payroll line.

The board’s motion authored at the meeting specified the 540-hour cap and sought to keep training and use tightly controlled. Commissioners agreed that any additional hours beyond the approved 540 would require a later vote.

Ending: The motion passed with commissioners voting to authorize the 540-hour PRN allocation; commissioners directed staff to advertise and seek a suitable on-call hire and to track training and usage against the approved budget.