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County asks for budget details after request to add part-time technical analyst; staff to return Aug. 5
Summary
Auditor-Treasurer staff asked the board to create a part-time technical analyst position to relieve a long-tenured employee; commissioners requested departmental revenue and budget figures and asked staff to return at the Aug. 5 meeting with costs and options to avoid losing the incumbent.
Auditor-Treasurer staff asked the Benton County Board to add a part-time technical analyst to address a heavy workload in document processing and title examination tasks. Commissioners asked for budget and revenue details and directed staff to return at the Aug. 5 meeting with numbers and options that would avoid losing an experienced employee.
Why it matters: Office staff said a single full-time title examiner is currently managing a large electronic workload — roughly 30 document submissions a day across 400 document types — and that the job is complex and time-sensitive because state timelines require document handling within set windows. Staff warned that the current employee is overwhelmed and would prefer to move to part time; commissioners expressed concern about losing institutional knowledge.
Auditor-Treasurer Christine (staff) described the workload and said the current employee has eight years of experience in the role and that recruiting a replacement would be difficult. Christine said the department proposes creating an additional position so the incumbent could reduce hours while a new hire covers remaining duties. Commissioners asked for the annual cost estimate and departmental revenue figures; Christine said the incremental cost of adding another position was approximately $36,000 (annual estimate discussed in the meeting), and she noted recent increases in DMV revenue that could help cover personnel costs.
Board members said they preferred to avoid losing the incumbent and asked staff to return with precise year-to-date revenue and vacancy-savings numbers, and to confirm whether cross-training and temporary coverage options could bridge any gap. Several commissioners suggested bringing the request to the upcoming budget discussion if additional appropriations are needed. The county agreed to revisit the matter at its Aug. 5 meeting and to check whether short-term coverage can be arranged if the incumbent seeks immediate relief.
Ending: Staff will prepare detailed budget figures and implementation options for the board's Aug. 5 meeting; commissioners said they will consult with the incumbent and explore temporary coverage to preserve continuity.
