Letters – Readers blast County for policies, pitfalls

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Politics, or ‘pile of tricks?’

To the Editor:

Cannot understand why politicians needed a paved road, but regular citizens did not. This problem still exists in this county.

I know when this comes up in conversation, it ends up with, “we don’t have the money.”

I guess it means no money to spend on the people who pay the bi

lls – the property owners and working people.

The purchase of the old WalMart store is another example. I don’t know why the present buildings aren’t good enough to get the job done. I am not against progress, as such.

But it is the “buddy process” that turns me off! Let’s plan some progress that is for the good of all taxpayers. Progress for only elected officials is bad for the overall community.

I would say more, but will stop here: Your road is no more important than my road. Don’t name buildings for your friends, name them according to their use.

Norman B. Chambliss

Lockhart

County employee should have been prepared

To the Editor:

In response to “From the Clock Tower,” (March 28, 2013) concerning the elimination of an employee’s job position, I’m quite perplexed! If any group has an “image problem” in the county concerning this position… it’s the HR Department. Are not the employees the key reason for employing an HR Department? Perhaps we should be doing what other counties our size do regarding HR, and have but one person under the elected Treasurer trained to act as the employee/management HR person.

Secondly, how is it that this employee could not be aware that her position, as being part of the EMT system, was not in jeopardy? As early as last Aug. 13, 2012, Seton Hospital presented their takeover proposal to control regionally our entire county, including Lockhart, system. In September of 2012, the County and the City jointly held several public meetings regarding this proposal. During one of these sessions, the representative from Seton stated openly that Seton was not guaranteeing that all present positions would be employed. During Commissioners’ Court on more than one occasion, citizens spoke on this issue during Citizens Comments. The EMT personnel also spoke. Therefore, the employee in question certainly should have known that her position was in peril.

On Oct. 8, 2012, the prior court voted to “go regional” and give Seton Hospital the reins, formalizing that these employees (not just this employee) were no longer under the county’s employment. Also, this employee was not the only employee who was not rehired by Seton.

Therefore, as a taxpayer I must ask, “Why is this one employee still collecting wages and on the county payroll at $34,100? Again I ask, where is our HR Department and just what is her job description? Do our two county administrators we employ have knowledge that this employee is still on the county payroll? Is our county auditor aware that our tax dollars are being used to fund a presently “bogus” position?”

Nowhere in the “Personnel Policies Manual” is it written that if the county votes to eliminate a position or department, it is the responsibility of the court to create another so as to keep all employees employed whether the position/department is needed or not.

To the official who allegedly “promised” the manager’s position of a non-approved department…how erroneously on his part! Does the county need such a person working for us?

And most importantly, why isn’t our court attorney engaged in the legality of a non-employee (officially since last Oct. 8) being permitted to draw wages?

Lastly, our new majority court is doing what they promised the taxpayers during the Sheriff’s Forum and the Dale Town Hall just prior to elections….they are listening to and working for the people, assessing the need for present and future departments and thus doing what they can to protect our taxpayer dollars!

Our Judge continually professes “transparency.”  What other “transparent” secrets are yet to be uncovered?

Susan Modrall

Dale

 

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