The Escambia County (Ala.) Commission said it would readdress a recommendation from Sheriff Heath Jackson to move an employee at the Atmore satellite office from part time to full time.
“If the money's not there I completely understand,” Sheriff Jackson told the commission. “But I wanted to make the request.”
Jackson said the employee basically runs the sheriff's office at the Atmore substation but can only work so many hours as a part time employee. He said when she's off, he either has to send somebody from the Brewton office to Atmore or close the Atmore substation down.”
Jackson also said it's a good employee and he would hate to lose her, but she needs a full time job with benefits.
“I don't want to lose an employee we have trained,” Jackson said.
He also said when he has to send an employee from Brewton to Atmore it not only costs money and wear and tear on a vehicle but the work back in Brewton gets piled up.
“We need to take a look at this,” said Commissioner Karean Reynolds. “When she's not there it's completely shut down.”
County Clerk-Administrator Tony Sanks said moving the employee from part time to full time would cost the county about $13,000 to $18,000 per year and said the commission would have to modify its personnel manual to create the full time position.
Reynolds asked if the county had the money to make the move.
Sanks said under the current budget if the commission opted to make the change now it would need to cut that expense somewhere else in the budget.
Jackson said he understood if the money was not available and if not he hopes the commission will address the issue in the next budget.
Commissioners decided to postpone any action until the next meeting to give Sanks an opportunity to look at the budget and see what could be done.
