Supervisors approve time off for county employees

FAIRFIELD – The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors was not able to give county employees raises this fiscal year, but the supervisors wanted to find a way to show their appreciation for the employees’ hard work.

At Monday morning’s board meeting on July 8, the supervisors voted 3-0 to approve one day of paid time off for the prior Friday, July 5, for all county employees. The supervisors, like county officials across the state, are having to trim their budgets in response to legislation from the state government, and that has meant that raises are hard to come by. Supervisor Susie Drish said she felt the county needed to do at least something for its employees, and that’s why the supervisors approved this extra time off.

“It shows our appreciation of the employees who work here,” Drish said.

Supervisor Lee Dimmitt remarked, “I’m sure all of us would like to be able to provide a pay raise, because they deserve it, but it wasn’t in the cards.”

In other news, the supervisors are getting closer to announcing an ambulance director. Former ambulance director Brian Thomas resigned from his post on April 22, and remains on administrative leave until July 12. Base manager Judy Heisel was promoted to interim ambulance director after Thomas’s departure.

The supervisors have interviewed three candidates, and plan to meet at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 11 to discuss the ambulance director position and future planning. Dimmitt said he does not expect to interview any more candidates, and he hopes the supervisors will be able to announce a director soon.

“This has gone on long enough. A decision needs to be made,” Dimmitt said. “It creates a morale issue when you have this unknown situation hanging over [the employees’] heads. They want to know, and they have a right to know.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com