Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board authorizes Sportsplex job ads despite budget worries; supervisors debate salary levels
Summary
Supervisors approved advertising for several Sportsplex positions while members expressed concern about the county's budget and debated the directorship salary (discussion centered on $55,000 vs $60,000).
The Washington County Board authorized advertising for multiple positions to staff the county Sportsplex but supervisors expressed concern about the county’s overall cash position and debated the recommended director salary.
The board voted to advertise openings for a director, assistant director, administrative assistant and concession staff for the county Sportsplex. Board members emphasized that advertising is not a hiring decision but a step to solicit candidates. The positions mentioned at the meeting included an executive/management role with salary discussion focused on a $55,000 to $60,000 range; an assistant director position (salary discussed around $35,000); an administrative assistant (about $17,000); and concession worker(s) (about $10,000).
County finance staff reviewed the county cash ledger and told the board the general fund was showing a negative position in the meeting materials (the finance presentation referenced roughly a negative $893,000 figure on the general fund ledger shown to the board). Several supervisors said they were uncomfortable approving higher salaries given that general fund constraint; others said competitive pay was needed to recruit qualified, year‑round management rather than seasonal hires. One supervisor said she was comfortable advertising at $55,000 while other board members said they preferred $60,000 to attract candidates; ultimately the board approved advertising without a final across‑the‑board salary increase and asked administrators to proceed with recruitment.
The board also approved beginning the recruiting process rather than waiting for final Sportsplex bylaws to be adopted; supervisors said bylaws would follow and would address whether staff report directly to the county or to the Sportsplex commission. Several members asked that the job descriptions and advertisement language be circulated to the full board prior to posting.
Board members also discussed that the Sportsplex would likely require additional building‑and‑grounds support for field upkeep if the complex reaches the desired level of maintenance, and that anticipated revenues and operating costs would be part of future budget deliberations.
