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Lake County clerk warns she would have to work 60 hours a week if temporary funding ends; commissioners told budget is $322,000 short
Summary
County Clerk Amy Hutchinson asked the Board to approve a permanent part-time position before one-time grant funding expires June 30, 2025, saying without it she would be forced to work 60 hours per week to meet statutorily required office hours; Treasurer Melanie Lasley urged a spending freeze amid a projected $322,000 shortfall.
County Clerk Amy Hutchinson told the Lake County Board of Commissioners on April 8 that one-time grant funding that helps cover clerk-office hours ends June 30, 2025, and that the county should authorize a permanent part-time position to maintain statutorily required office hours.
Hutchinson said the current staffing level is the minimum allowed by Oregon law; if the shared 12 hours and the temporary grant-supported hours are not replaced, "I would have to work 60 hours per week to meet the minimum staffing requirements," she said. Director of the Business Office Nicki Alves said the shared employee cannot absorb the unscheduled workload Hutchinson described.
Treasurer Melanie Lasley told commissioners the county is running an uneven budget and asked the Board to declare a spending freeze to help close a projected shortfall. Lasley said the current proposed budget is about $322,000 "upside down" and that department heads should consult their commissioner liaisons before making significant purchases.
Commissioners pressed Hutchinson for a clearer cost breakdown; Vice-Chair Barry Shullanberger asked Hutchinson to provide the math behind her savings estimates, and Commissioner James Williams asked what the clerk would do if long-term funding is not available. Hutchinson said the optional passport-assistance service, which generates revenue, would be among the duties most likely to be curtailed.
The staffing request was discussed in the work session and scheduled for Action/Consideration in the Board’s Regular Session the following day. No formal vote on the permanent part-time position was recorded in the work session minutes.
Why it matters: Clerk-office hours are statutorily mandated; losing staff would reduce public access to records and services and place a sustained overtime burden on the elected clerk. The issue also interacts with the county’s broader budget constraints and the Treasurer’s request to limit discretionary spending.
The Board will consider the formal staffing request and the proposed budget adjustments in Regular Session.
