Commissioners earmark $57,000 in draft budget for possible full‑time ADA coordinator, decline immediate consultant hiring

St. Mary’s County commissioners on April 27 considered whether to budget a consultant or create a permanent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator position to conduct a county‑wide accessibility assessment and follow‑on implementation.

Human resources presented two options: a consultant assessment (discussants cited $14,000 for an initial assessment) or creating a permanent, classified ADA coordinator position. A staff member who reviewed classification recommended a Grade 7, Step 1 position including fringe benefits, estimated at about $57,000.

Why this matters: the county must meet federal and state accessibility obligations and decide whether to buy a short consultant assessment or invest in an ongoing, in‑house position that could carry out assessments, compliance and implementation work.

Commissioners debated cost, timing and operational implications. One commissioner argued a full‑time coordinator would provide ongoing implementation capacity, saying a permanent employee "would be more beneficial to the county just to hire some a full time ADA coordinator and have them do the assessment and find somebody with that skill set" (Commissioner comment transcribed). The classification staff member summarized the estimated cost: "that would be classified at a grade 7. Step 1 plus fringe would be about $57,000."

Outcome: the board voted to leave $57,000 in the FY2016 draft budget as an earmark for a possible ADA coordinator, with no hiring or execution authorized until staff returns with a job classification, cost details and additional information. The motion was seconded and passed by a majority (recorded in the meeting as four in favor and one opposed). The $14,000 consultant assessment option remains on the table as a lower‑cost one‑time alternative but was not authorized for immediate execution.

Next steps and follow up

- Staff (Human Resources and Budget Office) will draft a formal job description, classification paperwork and a cost comparison between the consultant option and a full‑time coordinator and return to the commissioners at the next work session. - The $57,000 remains an earmark in the draft FY2016 budget pending that follow up; no hiring or expenditure will occur until the board takes further action.

Clarifying details included in the discussion: the consultant figure discussed for an initial assessment was cited as $14,000; the full‑time classification estimate was presented as Grade 7, Step 1 including fringe at about $57,000. Commissioners and staff agreed the position, if created, could be phased to match budget timing.

Ending: The board’s decision preserves both options while ensuring additional analysis before a hiring commitment.