Resident urges reclassification of clerk position to boost base pay

At a consensus budget hearing, a community speaker, Mister Woodall, asked the court to reclassify a long‑time clerk from Clerk 1 to Clerk 2 to raise base pay and help retain staff. "I've already lost one clerk and then had to retrain another," Woodall said, arguing that base pay — not just COLAs — is the key to retention.

The presiding judge and commissioners acknowledged the request but said county revenue and property appraisals are down this year, limiting their flexibility. The judge noted the court must balance requests against a smaller income stream and that the proposed budget will be considered at the next meeting; no formal change was adopted at this consensus session.