Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Frozen: County puts freeze on most new hires

Nevada County is under a hiring freeze because the county general budget is broke.

Because of limited anticipated revenue for 2006, the Nevada County Quorum Courts budget committee recommended the county impose a hiring freeze, except for positions which must be filled, such as jailers. Otherwise, when someone quits, retires or is terminated, their position will not be filled.

Bob Cummins, committee chairman, said the county has a budget of $1.6 million in anticipated revenue, with 90 percent, or $1.5 million, budgeted. The Road and Bridge Department has anticipated revenue of $1.4 million and an budget of $1.3 million, while the Solid Waste Department will have a budget of about $500,000 for the year. The budget for the Prescott-Nevada County Library was not discussed, and no action will be taken on this budget until after the City of Prescott passes its library budget for 2006.

According to Cummins, when the committee first began working on the budget all department heads were informed they needed to trim 15 percent from their budgets, all but two complied.

In addition, the committee learned the insurance premiums were going up 42 percent, but Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown called the company and got the increase reduced to 22.9 percent. Because of this, the county will continue paying 100 percent of the premium for the employees. Cummins said had this not occurred, the employees would have had to pay at least 20 percent of their insurance.

He recommended no one employed by the county and getting paid from the county general fund get a raise, but that all full-time employees and elected officials get a bonus of $125. The court agreed. Additionally, the Court agreed to give employees with the Road and Bridge Department a 3 percent raise and $500 bonus, while those in solid waste will also get a 3 percent raise and $500 bonus. The trash throwers were also given a raise of $1 an hour.

Cummins said there is $100,000 on the table in the solid waste budget. The committee agreed 80 percent of this should be put in a certificate of deposit, with the rest used for emergencies.

Another problem, Cummins said, is the outrageous phone bills in the county. We need to enforce no long distant personal calls. County general is flat broke.

The Court agreed to the committees recommendations

Myrna Waters, a member of the budget committee, said the Nevada County Sheriffs Office is short a jailer and this position needs to be filled.

Brown said the law requires the county take care of the prisoners, even if nothing else gets done. The Court agreed to go ahead and hire a jailer.

Nevada County Sheriff Steve Otwell said the NCSO needs a couple of new patrol cars. A deputy hit a deer recently, leaving the department without a spare vehicle.

Chief Deputy Larry Miller said another car was taken to the shop where mechanics found oil in the water and water in the oil.

The Court discussed its options and agreed to find a way to buy a couple of cars for the NCSO. JP Donnie McGuire offered to give the NCSO an engine for the vehicle that hit a deer, but the county must have it installed. The motor, McGuire said, has about 60,000 miles on it.

There was also talk about the Nevada County Coroners mileage. Waters questioned Gary Hicks, coroner, about his mileage, saying she didnt understand what he was asking for.

Hicks told the Court he was asking for mileage for deaths or the investigation of deaths. There are 91 statutes dealing with the coroner, he said. Im not requesting to be paid for the other miles Ive driven.

Waters asked Hicks about repeated trips to death scenes, saying this is a poor county and paying round trips for deaths cost.

Im not trying to abuse the county, Hicks said, but the court needs to pass an ordinance on this.

The Court also approved nominating Charlotte Coleman to replace Leo Holleman for JP Ward 6. Her name will be sent to Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for approval.