Commissioners propose position changes

Sanders County Commissioners are proposing some changes to how the county operates.

Commissioners met with department heads last week, and will hold a public meeting Thursday, Dec. 7, to review two proposals. The first is to combine the elected positions of Clerk & Recorder and Treasurer/Superintendent of Schools. The one elected official would manage both of those offices. In addition, the commissioners would like to hire a full-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to take the tasks away from the elected official that are not required by state statute. These duties would include working with department heads on their budgets, cash reports and reconciliation of accounts. Essentially, all of the tasks that the treasurer currently does with the bank.

The second proposal is to combine the positions of Sheriff and Coroner. At the meeting last week, Sheriff Tom Rummel said he supported the proposal, which is just in the planning stage, as long as he could still keep the civilian deputy coroners that the office currently has. He said that he believes Sanders County is one of the few in the state where the sheriff and coroner positions are separate.

“The proposals aren’t just to save money,” Commissioner Carol Brooker said. “We are mostly looking for efficiencies.”

Along with vacancy savings, Commissioner Tony Cox said that the commissioners are trying to be efficient with what they have, and trying to stay neutral with the budget or even save money.

Commissioners expressed that other than the elected positions that would be combined, their proposals would not result in any lost jobs.

“We have about every office as tight as we can,” Brooker said.

The Clerk and Recorder and Treasurer elected positions, as well as the county Sherff position, are up for re-election in 2018. Filing for candidates begins in January, so the commissioners will have any proposed changes set by then.

In hiring a CFO, Commissioner Glen Magera said he liked the idea, and that he believe they can do so without adding an expense to the general fund.

PUBLIC MEETING

The Sanders County Commissioners will hear public comments about the proposed changes at 10 a.m. in the Commissioner's Conference Room at the courthouse.