Pacific County commissioners authorize advertising for vacant jail-services support specialist after internal offer declined

The Pacific County Board of County Commissioners voted on March 4 to authorize advertising for a vacant jail services support specialist position after the internal candidate offered the role did not accept it within the contract window. The motion to advertise was moved and approved by voice vote.

The board’s discussion outlined how the position moved into a new Jail Services program code when the board created a Department of Corrections (referred to as “jail services”) and adopted the FY2025 Pacific County budget on Dec. 26, 2024. A commissioner said the county’s five civil positions previously sat under the sheriff’s office; four full-time equivalents were funded from the general law enforcement budget and one FTE from the jail budget. When the new department was created, the fifth civil position was retained under the jail budget but assigned the new program code and would transfer under the Board’s administration.

The commissioner described how, under the Teamsters Local 252 collective bargaining agreement, the county offered the new position to civil staff within the sheriff’s office in seniority order. “None of the 5 individuals that worked in the civil division in the sheriff's office wanted to move over,” the commissioner said, and the most-recent hire, Jonathan Cole, was offered the role after others declined. The commissioner said Cole received a layoff notice on Dec. 30, 2024, had 60 days to submit a letter of interest and did not accept the position; the speaker added that Cole has since accepted work in another county. The commissioner said that written communication between Cole and jail services examiner Mindy Young occurred on Jan. 2.

The commissioner also addressed a recent letter to the editor that suggested the board should have offered the position differently, calling that a public misconception and placing the Board’s actions on the record. The speaker said the county followed the CBA’s procedures for offers and layoff notice timelines.

Board members publicly thanked Melissa Rogers of the Department of General Administration for assisting the county during the transition, noting her help with payroll and ordering and saying she has been “an invaluable asset” in training and sustaining operations.

With the 60-day period elapsed, the board approved moving forward to advertise and hire the vacant jail services support specialist position; the board said the special meeting was scheduled so the county would not lose time in filling the role.