Clerk raises concern over $600 job‑ad invoice; commissioners agree to tighten protocol

The county clerk raised a concern after receiving an invoice that, she said, showed multiple job‑availability newspaper ads continued to run for two months and that the cost (over $600) was charged to a courthouse account rather than the requesting departments.

"I personally have a problem with that just because I feel like if a department has an availability for a position and it goes in the newspaper, then it should be paid by that department," the clerk said, urging clearer responsibility and oversight.

Commissioners discussed current practice — some positions appear in the paper weekly (for example, firefighter openings), and the clerk said the county has sometimes instructed staff to "run it until it's filled." Commissioners noted the county handbook or policy likely requires a two‑week ad run before application review and agreed the practice of running ads until further notice has led to inconsistent costs. One commissioner suggested adding handbook language and instituting a review cadence (weekly or biweekly) so departments verify whether ads should continue.

The clerk said she would pull a report on 2025 spending for employment ads and return with recommended policy language; commissioners generally agreed to keep responsibility for payment tied to the department that requested the ad or to set a specific time limit for how long an ad may run without renewed approval.

What happens next: The clerk will collect 2025 ad spending data and draft proposed handbook language or a protocol for commissioners to review.