Commission approves appointed chief deputy now, delays eliminating assistant pending notice

Utah County commissioners voted Aug. 16 to approve the creation of an appointed chief deputy position but agreed not to act on eliminating a confidential assistant role until the change is properly noticed.

Commissioners raised procedural concerns after materials for item 35 combined two staffing actions: one to add an appointed chief deputy (noticed before the statutory deadline) and a second to eliminate a confidential assistant (which staff said may have been added after the agenda deadline). Legal counsel advised the board that they could act on the portion that had been noticed but should not take up the un‑noticed elimination at the same meeting.

Commission counsel and HR staff told the commission there is budgetary flexibility because of existing vacancies and that creating the appointed chief deputy position now is unlikely to create an immediate budget problem. HR said the confidential assistant position could be eliminated later and that the funding impact could be managed as long as the change happened within a week or two.

Commissioners instructed HR to place the duly noticed portion on the record and to prepare a separate agenda item for any reduction in force or elimination of a position once that change has been properly noticed. The motion to approve the noticed portion passed 3–0.

During public comment citizens urged transparency about staffing changes and county spending; commissioners responded by reiterating the need to follow public‑notice rules and by asking staff to ensure documents and notices are clear before future meetings.