Personnel Subcommittee reviews ordinance to revise administrative assistant job for council

The New Castle County Council Personnel Subcommittee met at 03:00 to consider Ordinance 26-057, which would amend the pay plan and revise the class specification for the administrative assistant to county council. The chair and Ms. Kilpatrick are listed as co-sponsors; the chair said the item was brought forward by Clerk Hill and invited her to explain the proposed changes.

Clerk Neli Hill told the subcommittee that the role evolved after 2020 from a receptionist position and that she and Tara (a legislative assistant) have identified additional ongoing duties that justify upgrading and filling the position full time. "We really have a better handle on what is required of us and where we could use some assistance," Hill said, adding that the office now has work that could occupy a full-time hire.

Council members questioned operational details and fiscal timing. Mr. Kaneko asked whether the class specification would become concrete upon approval; Clerk Hill said it would. Several members raised the idea of adding limited social-media or communications tasks to the job description. Mr. Kaneko suggested including duties such as maintaining meeting agendas or a modest online presence; Mr. Smiley countered that "this council never had a Facebook page" and recalled prior concerns that a centralized account could become politicized. Clerk Hill responded that the position could perform routine notifications — for example, office closings or meeting updates — and that such duties had been added previously to other legislative-assistant roles in 2020.

Members also debated timing. Ms. Durham said she had heard constituent concern about a budget increase and noted an administrative hiring freeze, urging caution. Mr. Tackett and others pointed out the position is funded but has gone unfilled in recent years; Tackett reminded colleagues that unused salary funds typically revert at year-end. Mr. Cartier emphasized the practical need for a front-desk presence to serve constituents and asked whether filling the position would increase the council's proposed budget; Clerk Hill replied it would not because the slot is already budgeted and another funded slot is currently unfilled.

The subcommittee did not take a recorded vote on Ordinance 26-057 during the meeting. With no public comment on the item, the chair moved the agenda to a separate discussion of the council's telecommuting policy. The ordinance therefore remained under consideration for future action.