County board approves temporary increase in deputy county clerk hours
By Alexa Zoellner azoellner@dailyunion.com | Posted: Wednesday, March 14, 2018
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized a temporary increase in hours for a deputy county clerk/elections clerk from part- to full time.
“I had requested this position already in the 2018 budget because of our increase of our issuance of passports and our increase of marriage licenses,” Jefferson County Clerk Barb Frank said after the board’s monthly meeting. “My other deputies that work in the Finance Department who also help are busy implementing the new financial software program, so I don’t have coverage. This is a year that we have four elections, so we are very, very busy getting ready for the elections and just need the additional help.”
The total annual cost for 2018 due to the increase of hours and contributing 100 percent toward county-paid benefits for the deputy county clerk/elections clerk (Grade 4) in the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office is $20,743.
The increase of revenues due to a $10 increase of passport executive fees from $25 up to $35, effective April 2, is estimated to be $7,687.
The remaining $13,056 is anticipated to be offset by excess revenues and, therefore, no additional tax levy is expected.
For the past several years, the deputy county clerk/elections clerk position has been budgeted at 20 hours per week with benefits, but shared with a similarly situated program assistant position in Economic Development that allows for the person holding the positions to work full time.
In the 2017 and 2018 budgets, the program assistant in Economic Development was fully funded as a full-time position and, effective March 1, 2018, the department was authorized to increase the incumbent’s hours to full time, consequently leaving the deputy county clerk/election clerk position vacant.
Frank asked to increase the hours of the deputy county clerk/elections clerk to full time to continue a high level of customer service, which includes issuing passports, marriage licenses, Department of Motor Vehicle licenses and Department of Natural Resources licenses, as well as assisting with all election-related duties. Finance staff regularly assist with these duties, with the exception of election-related functions.
However, throughout 2018, the finance staff will “be immersed in the configuration, implementation and training” of the payroll module through Munis, the county’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which is scheduled to go live on Oct. 1.
In other business, the board:
• Authorized $11,517,228.19 to be designated as non-lapsing in the 2017 budget and carried over to the 2018 departmental budgets.
• Authorized transferring $56,258 from the Contingency Fund to offset fiscal year 2017 departmental deficits. The Contingency Fund has a balance of $340,112.
• Designated the Daily Jefferson County Union as the county’s official newspaper for 2018-20, commencing April 16, with a fiscal impact estimated to be $1,120 per year based on 2017 publication requirements and the cost per line increasing by 2 cents.
Every two years, Jefferson County enters into a contract with a local newspaper for publishing county board proceedings and other necessary legal publications as required by Wisconsin Statutes.
• Amended the Jefferson County Land Information Plan goals and objectives to include development of an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program.
An Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) workgroup with representatives from administration, corporation counsel, highway, land and water conservation, land information, parks and the sheriff’s office was formed in 2017 to study the use of UAS in county government.
Numerous potential benefits of a UAS (drone) program for public safety, transportation, recreation and conservation were identified. A budget of $17,000 was recommended in the 2018 Land Information Program budget for UAS training, equipment and software.
Wisconsin Statute 59.72(5)(b)3 requires that Land Information Program funds be used to develop, implement and maintain the countywide plan for land records modernization.
• Recognized James “Jimmy” Hartwig of Johnson Creek, who passed away on Jan. 30, 2018, for his service on the county board from April 1992 to April 2002 representing District 12.
• Recognized outgoing District 18 Supervisor Jennifer Hanneman for her work on the board from November 2010 to April 2018 (see related story on A5).
• Proclaimed March as Professional Social Work Month, April as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, and March 20 as National Agriculture Day in Jefferson County.