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Commissioners agree to include court members on EMS leadership interview panels amid HR concerns
Summary
After public comment criticizing the court's involvement in human resources, commissioners agreed to include a county commissioner on interview panels for Kendall County EMS leadership hires but avoided adopting a broad court-vote hiring power, citing state law and the need to follow county HR policy.
Kendall County commissioners on May 5 debated whether the court should have formal authority to approve EMS hires or whether commissioners should simply participate in interview panels. The discussion followed a public comment from Kathy Moore, who said the court was overstepping into human resources and questioned commissioners' HR qualifications.
"You are not qualified," Moore told the court, urging the county to rely on professional HR staff. Commissioner Carpenter proposed that for leadership roles in EMS the court include a commissioner on the interview panel and require the medical director to weigh in. General Counsel cautioned that under the Local Government Code the commissioner's court does not have direct hiring authority for county employees and recommended limited participation during an interim period until leadership is stable. The court confirmed interview dates for vacant EMS positions and agreed to include a commissioner on the panel for leadership hires; the court did not adopt a policy requiring final hiring votes by the court.
Commissioners also discussed filling a budgeted second-in-command position for EMS and resolving salary ranges so recruitment can proceed. The interim administrator reported interviews were scheduled and that HR and medical professionals had been invited to participate on interview panels.
