KINGWOOD —
Preston County Commissioners denied a request for an exception to its hiring freeze.
The request to hire the employee was made by Preston County Assessor Connie Ervin. Ervin said she wanted to replace an employee she lost in March.
In April, commissioners put a freeze on all new hiring, all non-essential work-related travel, non-essential overtime in all departments and all non-essential expenditures.
County Administrator Kathy Mace cautioned commissioners about lifting the freeze.
“We’re approaching the end of the fiscal year,” she said. “I am reluctant to say now is a good time to lift anything.”
Commissioner Don Smith said tax collections were down 30% in April. The current fiscal year ends June 30.
Ervin said when she lost the employee she advertised and did phone interviews but delayed hiring.
“I thought it was best not to move forward at that time with the COVID-19. I didn’t want to unnecessarily expose the public or my employees,” Ervin said.
She said she is now at a point where she needs to hire a personal property deputy.
“The county has a $2.5 million revenue, that is going to take employees from the general public,” she said “That includes answering phone calls and [questions about] vehicle registrations.”
Ervin said her office will send out 16,000 personal property assessment forms to taxpayers. They can either mail the forms back or fill out an online form.
The personal property assessment form generates a bill for next year’s taxes and is used by the public to get their next year’s vehicle license.
“We’re doing a YouTube video to explain to the public how to fill out the forms and do what my employees would have done,” she said. In other business, commissioners went into emergency executive session with Prosecuting Attorney Mel Snyder.
Snyder said the emergency session was held to provide legal advice to commissioners about property rentals and leases.
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