Probation director asks for clarity on opioid-settlement fund; board approves several probation reclassifications and new positions

Tammy, the county probation supervisor, told the Jefferson County commissioners she needs guidance on using opioid-settlement funds to cover drug-testing costs and on how those transfers should be handled in the county budget.

"When I submit my voucher, that's my question — what I hear you saying is every time I submit bills to pay for drug testing, that should come out of that cash," Tammy said. Staff and commissioners advised that the opioid settlement account functions as a restricted revenue source and that payments budgeted for those purposes should be drawn from that fund or be accompanied by a voucher note indicating a transfer-in from the opioid fund.

Tammy also presented reclassified job descriptions and asked the board to create and grade several positions. The board approved motions to create a deputy probation director (grade 10), a senior administrative officer (grade 5), a probation officer II (grade 6), and a senior probation officer (grade 8). The commissioners also approved a series of employee grade/step adjustments. Commissioners emphasized procedural steps — job descriptions must be adopted, graded, and then employees may be moved into the newly created classifications.

Commission discussion focused on whether the changes represented new positions or reclassifications of existing incumbents. Board members agreed the intent was to recognize absorbed duties and to adjust classifications rather than add new headcount. No additional salary amounts were entered into the public record during the meeting; staff said payroll lines and personal-action funds would be used to cover the changes.