FAYETTEVILLE -- The Washington County Quorum Court approved County Judge Joseph Wood's pick for county attorney, despite reservations some justices of the peace said they have about how Wood picked his new employees during a meeting Thursday.
"I want to make sure that we are putting qualified people into positions so that the county runs smoothly," Justice of the Peace Daniel Balls said.
New hires
Washington County Judge Joseph Wood didn’t rehire four employees last month. Two other county employees resigned their positions instead of working for Wood. All previous salaries for the positions at the end of 2016 are in parentheses.
• Julie Harris, executive assistant to the county judge, $40,000 ($49,284)
• Dwight Gonzales, building and maintenance supervisor, $53,000 ($64,173)
• Jim Kimbrough, planning director, $50,694 ($60,691)
• Brian Lester, county attorney, $70,000 ($76,300)
• Sharon Lloyd, grants administrator, $53,000 ($50,473)
• Carl Gales, chief of staff, $69,000 ($69,888)
• Josh Medina, veterans service officer *
Source: Washington County attorney
*Salary not immediately available Thursday
Committees
The Washington County Quorum Court took the first step Thursday to revive the county’s Finance and Budget Committee, which had been dissolved. Justices of the peace also reviewed committee assignments for this year and the schedule for the first meetings. The first committee meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. today when the Personnel Committee meets to hear a grievance filed by former County Attorney Steve Zega. The meeting will be at the Quorum Courtroom at the courthouse.
Source: Staff Report
Balls is a Democrat who represents northern Fayetteville.
Wood is the county's first Republican county judge in about 37 years. He replaced County Judge Marilyn Edwards, a Democrat, who had served as judge since 2009.
On Thursday, Wood asked the Quorum Court to approve Brian Lester as county attorney. The move came one day before a committee heard a grievance filed by former County Attorney Steve Zega who wanted his job back.
Zega and another three department heads -- Renee Biby, grants administrator and public utilities coordinator; Juliet Richey, planning director; and Wayne Haines, veterans service officer -- were not rehired by Wood last month. Two longtime employees -- Ron Wood, building maintenance supervisor, and Karen Beeks, executive assistant to the county judge -- decided to retire instead of working for Wood.
Justices of the peace wanted to know whether county ordinances were violated when Wood hired new employees without going through a mandated hiring processes and without producing information about whether those employees are qualified for those positions.
"I'm worried," Balls said. "I don't want us to get into lawsuits."
The other new employees Wood hired are: Josh Medina, veterans service officer; Jim Kimbrough, planning director; Dwight Gonzales, building maintenance supervisor; Julie Harris, executive assistant to the county judge; Sharon Lloyd, grants administrator; and Carl Gales, chief of staff.
Wood said there are no resumes or any application forms showing any professional qualifications for the employees he has hired. He said he doesn't plan to reveal any of the new employee's backgrounds, saying those fall under personnel matters and are confidential.
Some justices of the peace said Wood has the authority to hire and rehire employees. Wood likely vetted the new employees, said Justice of the Peace Tom Lundstrum, a Republican who represents northeastern Washington County.
"I think Mr. Wood has interviewed and looked at these people's backgrounds," Lundstrum said.
Many of the people Wood has placed into positions of power are allies. For example, Gonzales has listed Wood as a friend on a social media website, and Harris was Wood's campaign manager.
Lester said Wood has the authority not to rehire employees, as per the county handbook. The four positions were "not open positions" but were "instantaneous transfers," Lester said.
Wood isn't required to follow other ordinances, including advertising the position, because there were no new hires, Lester said.
Some justices of the peace said Thursday they wanted more information.
"I'd like to see, presented to us on paper, the definition of 'instantaneous transfer' as it is being used in this situation," said Justice of the Peace Butch Pond, a Republican who represents eastern Washington County.
NW News on 01/20/2017