Hill County commissioners approve judge's employee request

In its third week of discussing the issue, the Hill County Commission Thursday approved Hill County Justice of the Peace Judge Audrey Barger’s request for changing the title and wages of her clerks.

Commissioner Diane McLean brought up the motion during the commission’s business meeting Thursday to change the title of the Justice Court clerks to judicial administrative assistant.

The motion had been tabled during the commission’s last two business meetings.

Barger said during Thursday’s meeting that her office has gone through five clerks in the past three years, with the main problems being the wage level of the employees not reflecting the tasks of the job.

Her office has only two staff members, Barger added, and when one leaves her office is half-staffed

The clerks have a wide range of duties and responsibilities, Barger said, and without a deputy in her court, it is hard to find qualified employees when only able to offer $12.28 as a starting wage.

She added that all other county offices have deputies, so clerks have the possibility to advance to a deputy position with hard work and commitment. Because her office does not have deputies, that is not the case, she said.

Hill County Clerk and Recorder Susan Armstrong said she doesn’t disagree that the clerks need more money but she does disagree that employees in the justice of the peace office should get more without members of all courthouse employees getting the same treatment.

“If you go with one, you better change it all,” she said. “I know I have two deputies but I have two clerks out there that have no where going either. They are getting the same low wages. They have kids of their own to raise, so what right don’t they have to do the same, ’cause they have just as much responsibility, maybe in a different way, not exactly what clerk of court does, but there is tons of legal stuff out there, too.”

McLean said the change was needed to better reflect the duties of the clerks serving in the office of the justice of the peace.

“First of all, I want to say, there is no desire or malice toward any of our other offices. We appreciate the work that people do in our other offices, however, Judge Barger has made us aware that her court has … been half-staffed,” McLean said.

McLean said she has worked with Barger in re-evaluating the duties in the office, rescaling the job description to better reflect the administration.

The commission also asked other counties such as Blaine, Dodson, Glacier and others, for comparison, McLean said, adding that they were looking at caseloads, average wages and other items.

She said Hill County Justice of the Peace has an average caseload in the past four years of 2,459 cases per year, largest in all the counties that they had looked at.

She added that the average wage in other counties for the clerk of the justice of the peace is anywhere between $15.89 to $20.55, with Hill County’s clerks making, as of last week, $13.10.

“I really believe that is why we’re not keeping people in this position because it is a wage that’s not livable,” McLean said, “… Their duties and responsibilities are a bit more than that of clerk or secretary. I believe by retitling that job we can attract and keep better qualified and better employees.”

McLean said in other counties, justice court clerks are paid 90 percent of a deputy’s wage.

“We are not trying to be unfair, we’re trying to man an equitable wage for the jobs that are being asked (of the employees) in making this change,” McLean said.

McLean made a motion to change the starting wage for the judicial administrative assistant position to $14.26. The wage would increase after six-months to $15.25 and after that advancement in wages and raises would be possible for up to six-years.

“It isn’t even comparable to the 90 percent deputy, but at least it’s a living wage and it might encourage someone to have a career instead of just having a step to the next job,” she added.

These motions passed 2-0 with McLean and Commissioner Mark Peterson voting in favor. Commissioner Mike Wendland abstained on both votes.

In other business, the commission passed 3-0 a resolution authorizing and establishing a local option motor vehicle tax of 0.5 percent for the funding of general government of Hill County.

Claims, tax adjustments and employment were also approved during the meeting.

Two bids for road graders, one for two graders and one for three, were tabled during the meeting with the commission agreeing it needed further discussion on the matter.

The commission also approved buying a computer for the Hill County Road Department, 3-0, with the need for follow-up with the road department needed.

Two funding contracts for Hill County DUI Court were reviewed and passed, 3-0, in an annual vote.