Van Zandt County court tables authority request on youth diversion coordinator; funding and job classification unresolved

Van Zandt County commissioners on Wednesday voted to table a request that would let the Youth Diversion Board decide whether and when the county’s state‑mandated youth diversion coordinator should be converted from part time to full time.

The item was presented by a member of the Youth Diversion Board on behalf of Judge Shinn; the presenter said the county budget already contains money for a full‑time coordinator but that the program is not yet large enough to justify a 40‑hour employee. The board asked to use the budgeted full‑time line to pay a part‑time coordinator at the $19.44 hourly rate already written into the grant and to allow the board to convert the post to full time when caseloads require it.

The court’s auditor, Catherine, said payroll and HR systems require positions to be set up as either part time or full time and warned that the way the grant application and county budget were written had produced conflicting entries; she said earlier paperwork had attempted to list a part‑time rate at $32 an hour, which she called an error that must be corrected through the regular approval and classification process. "We need it to be set up as a part time position versus a full time position," Catherine said, adding that pay rates and approvals must align with the grant application and HR rules.

Supporters told commissioners the grant that will reimburse part of the position is a reimbursement grant administered through ECCOG and that ECCOG had approved $38,000 for the county. The presenter and other board members said the county had set aside roughly $50,000 in its current budget to fund the position until the state grant year begins in the fall. The Youth Diversion Board said the coordinator is currently working about 24 hours per week but may need to expand to full time later; the board requested authority to make that change without returning to commissioners if workload increases.

Commissioners expressed concern about legal and accounting controls and about classifying the position correctly in the county payroll system. County staff said they could continue the status quo until the next regular meeting while they work out proper line‑item language and required amendments. Commissioner Williams moved to table the item and Commissioner Phillips seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote.

The court instructed staff to work with HR, the auditor and the Youth Diversion Board to clarify whether funds should be reallocated, how the position should be classified in county records, and how ECCOG reimbursement will be handled going forward. No change in pay rate was approved during the meeting; the hourly rate discussed throughout was $19.44 per hour and the board indicated the position is currently budgeted for 40 hours but being used at approximately 24 hours per week.

The matter will return to commissioners after staff and the board resolve the budget classification and grant‑reimbursement procedures.