Commissioners approve reclassification for communications training and up to $40,000 salary study

The Walker County Commissioners Court on Feb. 23 approved two personnel-related items aimed at stabilizing county staffing and pay.

An agency official described an internal assessment that found limited in-house training capacity in the public safety telecommunications group and proposed reclassifying one Public Safety Telecommunicator position (pay group 107) to a training/quality-improvement manager (pay group 112). The official said the new position will oversee training for communications officers, implement a centerwide quality-assurance program for emergency medical dispatch and radio dispatching, and reduce reliance on external contractors. "This manager level position will be over our training program... and we'll also be needing to implement a quality assurance program that we currently have right now done through the contract service," the official said. The court approved the reclassification; funding will be covered in the current year from existing funds with city–county cost-sharing adjustments later in the budget process.

The court also approved a vendor proposal to perform a countywide salary study and update in phases. Commissioners discussed the timeline (12 weeks in the proposal) and agreed to engage the consultant at a value not to exceed $40,000, to be drawn from project contingency funding. Amy, who advised on the presentation, said the work can be adjusted if commissioners want different deliverables.

Both votes were passed by voice/hand raise. The reclassification and study were described by commissioners as priorities tied to recruitment and retention amid persistent vacancies in public safety and other departments.