Aransas County Commissioners on Jan. 2025 approved a temporary civil and warrants clerk position for the sheriff’s office to allow a volunteer to train applicants while two clerk positions remain vacant; the motion passed unanimously, 4-0.

County officials said the temporary role would be limited-term and carry no county-paid benefits. Sheriff (unnamed in the record) told the court that Sheila Gordon volunteered to help train new hires and is ‘‘paying her own benefits through COBRA or whatever,’’ meaning the county would provide straight pay with no benefits. The sheriff said the temporary assignment could last anywhere from about two weeks to two months depending on how quickly applicants learn the work.

The sheriff gave background to the court saying both the civil process clerk and warrants clerk positions are vacant after a staff member left for another job. The sheriff said bringing Gordon in as a temporary trainer would relieve an assistant, identified as Rhonda, so Rhonda could return to her regular duties and help fill the remaining vacancy. The sheriff also said interview schedules for applicants were set for “today and tomorrow.”

Commissioners discussed personnel-policy and posting requirements for temporary positions. One commissioner noted the county handbook’s posting rules and raised concerns about appointing someone before a newspaper posting ran. The sheriff and others said the temporary appointment would speed training and reduce the need to pull other employees from their duties. The auditor’s office was reported to have confirmed payroll could cover the temporary pay because of current vacancies; the sheriff said the office currently has roughly six vacancies across deputy and clerk positions.

The court adopted the motion to create and fill the temporary clerk role for the sheriff’s office; recorded votes were Commissioner Cheney — Aye; Commissioner Kashland — Aye; Commissioner Dupnik — Aye; Judge Garza — Aye. The motion passed 4-0.

Court members asked staff to review personnel procedures to clarify posting requirements and how temporary, short-term appointments should be handled in the future.