Job and Family Services staff member suspended over misuse of county equipment

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Highland County Job and Family Services Director Debbie Robbins met with the Highland County Board of Commissioners in an executive session for personnel during the board's Wednesday, Dec. 17 meeting.

Immediately following the executive session, Jeremy Shaffer read a motion to approve a recommendation from Robbins to suspend Job and Family Services staff member Amanda Iler for three days – without pay – for misuse of county equipment.

Commissioners Shaffer, Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst agreed to the recommendation.

Commissioners said Iler had misused a county fax machine, but did not elaborate.

Iler has been with Job and Family Services for several years.

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2015 budget discussed

• In other business, commissioners and Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley discussed a draft of the projected 2015 general fund budget totals.

As previously reported, Fawley has estimated 2015 revenues at $9.5 million, and commissioners are working toward that number.

In a summary draft provided by the auditor, the 2015 requests across county departments totaled $9,905,500.21.

The 2014 appropriation was $9,266,291.

"We're not going to go over $9.5 million," Wilkin said. "Maybe a few thousand, but not very much."

One significant change in the proposed budget is a 2015 request of $123,000 for economic development and a tentative approval of $130,000 for that office next year.

When asked about projected staffing for economic development, Wilkin said the commissioners are "projecting two people in that office."

Horst noted that there is no immediate timetable for an economic development office or staff hires, adding that it won't be early in the new year.

Wilkin asked his fellow board members to review the draft of next year's budget and bring it back for discussion at the Dec. 24 board meeting.