Commissioners renew county engineer's contract after contentious debate over workplace culture

Chilton County commissioners voted 4-2 to renew the county engineer's contract after a lengthy public discussion about workplace culture and staff confidence.

The renewal motion, introduced by Commissioner Hedley and seconded by Commissioner Hall, drew criticism from Hedley, who said he had solicited anonymous feedback from road department employees and that the results demonstrated a serious morale problem. "The vote came back 25 no confidence, one confidence, seven didn't vote," Hedley said. "I will not be voting to renew him." He urged commissioners to consider whether the engineer's management style was serving the department.

Supporters of the renewal said the county's roads and road-department performance have improved and that the engineer has been responsive to county needs. Commissioners who spoke in favor of renewal noted that Human Resources found no formal grievances on file and that the contract contains a buyout clause should the commission later decide to make a change. One commissioner cited a $15,000 buyout figure discussed during the meeting.

The debate covered how employee evaluations were handled, whether the final evaluation submitted to personnel files accurately reflected the commissioners' written comments, and the proper chain of command for road-department complaints. Several commissioners said they have seen management-style changes and some progress by the engineer but differed on whether that progress justified reappointment.

After discussion, the commission voted to renew the engineer's contract. Commissioners Bone and Williams voted against renewal; four members voted in favor.

The commission did not adopt new disciplinary action or termination at the meeting; commissioners indicated oversight and follow-up via liaisons, HR and the chair remained options going forward.