Central Services Director Carol Rogers and DCOO Landry Markison briefed the Clayton County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 14 about a staffing request tied to procurement and invoice‑processing changes in Finance.

Rogers said Finance’s Dec. 5 change to stop processing direct‑entry check requests and to require purchase orders or contracts for many invoices has increased Central Services’ workload. She told commissioners that Central Services’ single staff attorney currently handles roughly 200 contracts per year plus amendments, open‑records requests and demand letters and has no administrative support.

"Without that additional help, for the paralegal, with the change that we have with the invoice... we will have an increased workload, which would lead to slower production," Rogers said. She said added workload stems from a newly implemented contracts administration plan and the need to prepare and manage more purchase orders and contract documents.

Rogers asked the board to fund a paralegal position (a request placed in the fiscal 2026 budget) to assist contract administration, demand letters, cure notices and vendor meetings so legal and procurement staff can meet contract deadlines and avoid delays to projects such as grants, public works and vendor services.

Interim CFO staff said the new position would be an addition to the general fund and would be included in the county’s budget process. Chief Operating Office staff reiterated that implementing procurement cards (a pilot program discussed previously) and better utilization of existing tools could offset some work but that the paralegal would still be needed given the volume and legal oversight required.

Commissioners asked for examples of missed deadlines and for clarification of the $5,000 decentralized purchasing limit in the procurement code. Rogers said that some annual contracts have required extensions because contracting staff lacked capacity to reprocure on time, and that project timelines for grants and capital projects can be affected when contract negotiation and execution are delayed.

Why this matters: Central Services said the invoice processing change pushes more transactions into the contract and purchase‑order workflow, increasing legal and procurement workloads. Staff argued that adding a paralegal will speed contract administration, reduce risk of missed deadlines and help protect the county’s interests in a growing pipeline of projects.

Next steps: County staff told commissioners they intend to place a budget request for the paralegal position in the FY26 budget and expected to put a related agenda item on the Jan. 21 board meeting if immediate direction is required.