The Township board’s personnel committee gave the first of what will likely be many recommendations last week — this one in regards to the Assistant to the Supervisor position.
Committee member John Steimel asked the board to consider the position as a politically appointed one, that would include 40 hours a week with no benefits.
‘Let’s just call a spade a spade,? Steimel said. ‘This is a political appointed position.?
The board voted 5-2 to extend the current contract through the 2008 election cycle.
Jill Verros, who currently holds the position, and has since 2003 on a contractual basis, said there are still some legal issues that must be sorted out by the township’s labor attorney.
One concern is that the position has never been an appointed position in the past, and another revolves around the board’s motion to extend the contract to March of 2009.
The committee recommended such an extension (which would go a handful of months past the Nov. 2008 elections) to allow for continuity in the event that there are a high number of new faces on the board.
Verros said there could be an issue, statutorily speaking, with extending the contract past the current supervisor’s term.
Those that voted against the board motion (Clerk Jill Bastian and Treasurer Alice Young) argued that the contract should expire in November of 2008.
Regardless of the outcome, Verros was pleased to see some action finally taken by the board.
‘It’s been on the agenda at least 10 times,? she said. ‘It’s the only position out of 65 that they’ve had an issue with.?
Verros added that she would like to see benefits added to the position, as it is the only full time employment position at that level in the township without them.
She also currently holds the position of Deputy Supervisor, which is a salaried position — and she said the labor attorney would have to look into rules regarding one person holding down both salaried and hourly positions in the township at the same time.
A second motion by the board, proposed by Trustee Mike Gingell and voted on unanimously, authorized the personnel committee to analyze/investigate and seek (outside) contract resources in relation to human resources functions within the township.
Verros has taken on H.R. responsibilities in the past year.