County Commission to start clerk-treasurer hunt in June

Posted

ROBERTSDALE – The Baldwin County Commission plans to make changes to the office of clerk-treasurer next week and will start looking for someone to fill the vacant position in June.

At a work session Tuesday, the commission approved an agenda item to move sales taxes and business license inspections from the office of clerk-treasurer to the budget director. Moving sale tax and business license offices to budget will be voted on at the regular commission meeting next Tuesday.

Commission Chairman Charles “Skip” Gruber said he felt that the financial offices of clerk-treasurer and sales taxes should stay together, but that he would not oppose the change.

Your dealing with the clerk-treasurer looking at money going in and money going out. That’s what they’re responsible for,” Gruber said. “I think the sales tax is part of that, but if that’s the wish of the rest of commission, I’m not going fight it. I’m just saying it worked before and we had no trouble whatsoever.”

The commission voted in April to terminate the contract of Clerk-Treasurer Kim Creech, who had held the position since 2010. Commissioners did not give a reason for the action. Donna Bryars was named interim clerk treasurer.

On May 10, the Fairhope City Council voted to hire Creech as city treasurer. Creech had been chief accountant for Baldwin County for four years before being named clerk-treasurer.

Commissioners do not plan to vote at the upcoming meeting on a final job description for the post or to start advertising the position.

Commissioner Billie Jo Underwood said the office is functioning well and officials can wait to finish the job description and decide about hiring a clerk-treasurer.

That way we could move forward. By not posting this job right away, we can wait a few more weeks on this,” Underwood said. Donna is doing an excellent job. She just assured me that she is not having any problems she does not need any additional staff.”

Underwood said commissioners should have a job description ready by the next work session on May 28 and for action at the regular commission meeting on June 4.