Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board debates hire and pay for assistant engineer; staff instructed to prepare offer
Summary
Supervisors heard a department proposal to hire an assistant engineer (Cassie) with surveying experience and debated starting pay. The board discussed a $35/hr proposal, counteroffers and benefits costs and directed staff to proceed toward making an offer to the candidate for consideration next meeting.
Chickasaw County engineering leadership asked the board to approve hiring an assistant engineer/engineering technician (candidate named Cassie) to expand in-house surveying and design capacity.
Staff said Cassie brings surveying experience and AutoCAD skills, would be eligible to take licensure exams in the near term, and had accepted an approximate $15,000 pay cut to join the county. The department recommended a $35-per-hour starting wage; supervisors debated lower starting offers, probationary increases, and parity with existing staff (Liza). One motion to hire at $35/hour produced a recorded roll-call with split votes; subsequent discussion produced a motion to offer $33.50 per hour to the candidate and to finalize details at the next meeting.
Board members raised budget questions including employer health-insurance costs and suggested the department work budget figures into November's budget process. Staff noted hiring the assistant engineer could reduce consulting costs (one bridge could cost roughly $52,000 to pay a consultant) and improve capacity for in-house design and inspection.
Outcome: The board did not finalize a permanent hiring action at the meeting; supervisors instructed staff to proceed with preparing an offer (language and rate to be confirmed) for consideration at the next meeting.
