Council says county must improve hiring outreach as vacancies persist

Chairman Charles (Rick) Gooding and other council members raised concerns Sept. 16 about persistent trouble filling county positions and discussed expanding recruitment efforts, including posting openings on external job sites and the county website. Gooding and Council members agreed applications should flow to department heads and the administrator for follow up; the personnel committee planned to meet with staff later in the week to review hiring practices.

Council members emphasized that hiring for public‑safety functions (firefighters, E911, EMS) should remain with qualified department leadership while administrative notification and transparency should improve. The council directed that interview notifications be sent to members when interviews occur and that department heads retain responsibility for technical screening and recommendations. The personnel committee scheduled follow-up work to refine process and outreach.