At the Jan. 3 Hocking County Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioners and staff raised concerns about staffing and recent turnover in the county treasurer’s office and said the situation posed a risk to timely payroll and tax processing.

Why it matters: The county treasurer’s office handles payroll, tax receipts and delinquency notices. Commissioners warned that a lack of stable staffing could interrupt payroll and other statutory functions, with the next payroll processing date less than two weeks away according to meeting remarks.

Meeting remarks noted that following a recent change in the treasurer’s office there were employee departures that were not formally accepted as resignations. The transcript records that when Dwayne Davidson accepted an appointment to return to the treasurer seat, the office staff “immediately came back and jumped right back in” and worked extra hours to catch up. The transcript states there are three employees in the treasurer’s office in addition to the treasurer.

Commissioners and participants said the office had struggled to get payroll processed on the day of the meeting because there was no treasurer available earlier to confirm balances with the auditor. Meeting participants urged political parties and local officials to prioritize keeping the treasurer’s office staffed and functioning to avoid service interruptions; the remarks were presented as appeals by meeting participants and are a matter of public comment and commissioner discussion recorded in the minutes.

The transcript does not record a formal board action to change treasurer staffing or employment status at the meeting. Commissioners authorized posting job openings elsewhere on the agenda (for a sewer position and an HR position), but no formal hiring decision for treasurer-office positions was recorded during this meeting.

Clarifying details from the meeting: the treasurer’s office was described in the transcript as having three employees besides the treasurer; participants said employee resignations were not formally accepted and that staff returned to work when a previously appointed treasurer resumed duties. The transcript also noted delinquent lodging-tax accounts and an existing process of letters and prosecutor involvement for collections, which commissioners referenced while discussing the office’s workload.

The transcript contains strong appeals to political actors to resolve the matter so county services are not disrupted, but it does not document any change in employment status or a specific timeline for hiring or posting treasury office positions.