JPs talk budget, hiring freeze at meeting

In the final regular meeting of 2020, members of the Hot Spring County Quorum Court voted to end a hiring freeze that was put in place in 2019 and they approved the budget for 2021.

After the third and final reading of an ordinance, the JPs voted to end the hiring freeze. According to the proposed ordinance, county officials will be allowed to fill “open positions” under certain conditions.

These conditions include: •“The date the new employee begins work shall be no earlier than the first day after all vacation time, sick time, and comp. time, if applicable, of the previous employee in that position has been paid.”

•“Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a lump sum payment of time owed in order to accelerate hiring a new employee, or for any other purpose, without approval of the quorum court.

• “In any month a new employee is hired, that county office shall provide, in writing, a report to the quorum court showing the date of the previous employee’s termination or resignation, the hours owed to them and the start date of the new employee filling that position.”

JP Andrew Daily expressed some concerns about the ordinance and voted against it.

Daily said there have been positions that have been open for years and have not been filled. He suggested the court keep the hiring freeze in place.

During discussion of this ordinance, JP Brian Coston noted that the purpose of the hiring freeze was to stop county officials from hiring people before the previous employee’s comp. time and

vacation time was used and to stop “double dipping.”

He suggested the county have a third party organization review county offices to determine what positions are needed.

The court also approved the 2021 budget. More details about this budget will be featured in an upcoming edition of the Malvern Daily Record.

Other items approved by the court include:

•The second reading of an ordinance to allow the county clerk to fill a deputy clerk position.

•An ordinance to levy personal and real taxes for Hot Spring County, incorporated cities and school districts. This ordinance is required to be passed each year and all three readings were approved.

•An ordinance allowing the Hot Spring County judge to fill an operator position in the Road Department. All three readings and an emergency clause were approved.

•An ordinance to appropriate money to the ACEDP Public Health Unit Grant Fund. This appropriation is needed

because of “an amendment made to the grant,” according to the ordinance.

•An first reading of an ordinance to create a new line item for the Magnet Cove Fire Protection District and all three reading of an ordinance to create a new line item for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management Grant Fund.

After handling action items, the JP also decided to form a Solid Waste Committee. This five-member committee will work with the Hot Spring County Solid Waste Authority to build a better relationship between the two entities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the JPs commended fellow JP Lindsey Hollomon and Ralph Ohm since this was their last regular meeting with the court.

Ohm has served as the county’s legal counsel for 18 years, he said.

He noted that his time with the court has been “an honor and a privilege,” and he called the JPs his “best clients.”

Ohm was elected earlier this year to serve as Division 1 Garland County Circuit Judge. He will take that post at the beginning of the year.