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Public health director asks board to post bookkeeping role at 25 hours to preserve benefits and attract applicants
Summary
Jan, representing public health, asked commissioners to approve filling a bookkeeping position at 25 hours/week rather than 32, saying the job’s bookkeeping and grant‑management tasks can be done in 25 hours and that 25 hours qualifies for benefits that attract quality applicants; commissioners raised recruitment, succession and cost concerns.
Columbia County’s public‑health representative asked the board on Dec. 8 to post a bookkeeping position as a 25‑hour‑per‑week job rather than 32 hours, saying the duties can be completed in 25 hours and that the 25‑hour mark makes the role eligible for employee benefits.
"I'm asking 25 hours because of benefits," Jan said during the work‑session discussion about the job description and hours. She told commissioners the bookkeeping duties and ensuring grant‑related financial policies are accurate could be done within that schedule and that most benefit costs for that role are paid from the department’s funding rather than the county’s current expense budget.
Commissioners acknowledged the trade‑offs between recruitment and cost. One commissioner noted the budgetary difference between a 25‑hour and a 24‑hour position is roughly $30,000 a year, a factor the board said must be considered. Another commissioner raised succession‑planning concerns: if the position were seen as a pathway into the director role, the board could consider increasing hours later to accommodate training.
The board did not take a formal vote during the work session; the chair noted this was a work session and that any formal change would be handled at a later meeting. Commissioners also discussed whether the position would need to be reposted if hours changed; staff said no immediate change to the job description was being made today, and any decision could be revisited when recruitment occurs.
