Todd County hires Deb Warner as MIS specialist at higher step after personnel recommendation

Todd County commissioners voted on Sept. 16 to hire Deb Warner as the county’s MIS specialist at Grade H Step D ($32.28 per hour), higher than the placement recommended on the grade step chart. Administration said interviews identified Warner as the best candidate and requested the higher starting step because of her “extensive prior experience and demonstrated competencies,” which would reduce training needs and provide reliable backup when the MIS director is unavailable.

Why it matters: Administration explained the MIS specialist role requires a higher level of technical expertise to manage backend infrastructure tasks that a technician position does not cover. Personnel committee and commissioners discussed budget implications and noted the position and step had been budgeted for 2025–2026.

Board action and context: After discussion on job necessity, placement and the recent compensation study (Gallagher), Commissioner Denny moved to approve hiring at Grade H Step D and Commissioner Nasca seconded. The board voted in favor by voice vote. Administration will process a start date of Sept. 17, 2025, and HR will complete onboarding and payroll setup.

Limits and follow up: Commissioners asked whether the position had come through personnel and confirmed it had; administration noted the county had budgeted the step for 2026 and that a previous supervisor role had been removed when leadership shifted. The board approval was specific to this candidate and placement; further hires will follow standard Personnel Committee review.