Delta County commissioners agree process to split controller and HR duties, ask personnel and finance to finish job descriptions

Delta County commissioners at a Committee of the Whole meeting on March 13 discussed creating a separate controller/HR specialist position and clarifying the county administrator'controller job, directing personnel and finance to finalize job descriptions and identify funding.

The discussion grew from a job-title and duties review the board said began in 2020 and has moved between personnel and finance committees. County Administrator Ashley Young described the administrative need: the county requires a finance-focused staff member who can handle day-to-day finance questions and provide backup for payroll and accounts payable. "I just want help, to be honest," Young said.

Commissioners said they want clearer delineation between functional work (entering and preparing financial data) and oversight (reviewing, approving and presenting financial information to the board). Several members noted overlapping language in the current county administrator/controller and the proposed controller/HR specialist job descriptions, and asked for edits so the administrator role reads as oversight while the controller performs the functional finance work.

On compensation, the board discussed previous ranges and the budget impact. The existing HR specialist/administrative-clerk position had a range of $35,000 to $45,000 and was started at $45,000 on June 5, 2023, according to meeting remarks. Young said she proposed a $55,000 to $65,000 range for the controller/HR specialist; commissioners calculated the additional annual payroll cost would be roughly $10,000 above the currently budgeted $45,000 start and noted fringe costs (FICA, retirement and health insurance) would add to the total.

Commissioners asked personnel to revise the two job descriptions (administrator and controller/HR specialist) to remove overlapping action verbs and clarify supervision versus oversight. They also asked finance to provide a funding plan that covers the ~$10,000 base-delta plus benefits and return the proposal to the board for a decision. The meeting record shows the group agreed to forward recommended job-description language to personnel, then finance, and then back to the full board.

During the discussion commissioners referenced prior actions: the administrator/controller duties were previously separated in 2020 and the administrator salary was adjusted in subsequent contract negotiations. Commissioners asked staff to clarify how much of the administrator's present compensation reflected controller duties versus administrative duties before any formal contract changes are made. Members also raised that changing duties could trigger contract or legal review because the administrator's contract and job description are linked.

The board moved and approved entering discussion on the item during the Committee of the Whole and later agreed to send the revised job descriptions to personnel and finance, with finance tasked to identify specific budget offsets and total cost including benefits. No final hiring decision or contract amendment occurred at the meeting.

Next steps: personnel will finalize job-description language that distinguishes oversight from functional work and confirm the controller job duties (including grants support and backup payroll/accounts-payable duties). Finance will produce a cost estimate including payroll taxes and retirement and return the item to the board for a vote; the board indicated it wants the position posted once salary and funding are finalized.