According to the measure’s justification, the county of Montgomery has to hire a “Director of Continuous Improvement” to accommodate the expanding responsibilities of county government. According to the bill, this post is required so that Montgomery County can keep up with the increasing demands of its government agencies, boards, and elected officials in light of the county’s status as one of the fastest-growing in the state.
Need For Director
The county mayor’s office has been discussing the necessity for this job for the previous two years. As the budget hearings progressed, however, such requests were removed. County Mayor Wes Golden said it was time to employ someone at Monday’s impromptu commission meeting.
“When I came into office, I went around and met with all the elected officials and department heads, and one of the things I heard a lot was the contrast and the difference between the two chiefs of staff that were here before. One was very externally focused, (with) a big vision, looking at the community, and the other was internal, dealing with department heads, elected officials, and people like that,”
“It sounds like they were completely different in the way they did their work, but in reality, both are needed.”
The mayor continued by saying that he has seen full-time employees be given responsibility for massive projects and initiatives that are never finished. He remarked that the county’s continued efforts would benefit from this position.
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“This is something that other industries are doing as well. The school system also has a position with this title. It is something that I believe is needed, so I’ll ask for your support on this,”
Golden added.
Cost To the County
The annual salary of the new government employee was a topic of inquiry for Commissioner Nathan Burkholder. Director of Accounts and Budgets Jeff Taylor estimated that the yearly cost,
“The total (annual) cost would be just under $150,000 with salary and benefits,”
The new hire would report to the county mayor and chief of staff and would be paid for through an amendment to the operational budgets for the current fiscal year. After Commissioner Jason Knight requested its removal from the consent agenda on Monday night, the resolution became a stand-alone agenda item. On Monday, February 13 at 6 p.m., the County Commission will have a vote at the County Courthouse on the matter.
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