Gilpin County considers policy requiring written justification before filling vacant positions

County Manager Rears presented a draft policy intended to require written justification and a county-manager review before departments fill vacant or soon-to-be-vacant positions.

The draft adds a 10-business-day review period for the county manager to assess the completeness of hiring justifications and includes an appeal process allowing an elected official to ask the board to reconsider the county manager's decision. Commissioners emphasized that final authority for creation, elimination, reduction or reclassification of positions should remain with the Board of County Commissioners and asked staff to reword the draft to make that clear.

Commissioners and department heads raised practical questions about who would complete the justification form, whether the requirement would slow recruitment for existing, budgeted positions, and how the policy would affect elected officials who hire their own staff. Staff said the form could be a streamlined template and recommended reviewing the draft in a work session so department directors and elected officials could provide input.

The board instructed staff to circulate a revised draft, to discuss the policy at a forthcoming work session, and to continue with three already-budgeted postings (detention officer, facilities maintenance tech, digital media technician) that staff and commissioners agreed should proceed rather than be paused.

Next steps: staff will share a revised policy and add the item to a future work session agenda for public discussion and additional edits.