Lawrence County Council tables new hire requests until the budget process is complete

LAWRENCE CO. – Lawrence County Council in their meeting Tuesday night tabled hiring requests for the Lawrence County Health Department and the Lawrence County Extension office until after the 2022 budget process is complete.

In other business the council:

  • Approved Lawrence County Highway Superintendent David Holmes’ request to reallocate $126,200 from Motor Vehicle Highway to Motor Vehicle Highway Restricted to cover overtime for various positions and other payroll items.
  • Approved Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Sam Arp request to appropriate two grants awarded the department from the Lawrence County Community Foundation. The money will be used for kids in domestic violence situations by providing clothing, teddy bears and other needed items. The two grants totaled $4,300.
  • Approved Lawrence County Health Department nurse Mary Kinser’s request to appropriate $25,000 from the PHEP grant. The funds are used for emergency preparedness such as lap tops, overnight stays for training and other related purchases. They also appropriated an immunizations grant in the amount of $85,000.
  • Approved Lawrence County Chief Probation Officer Nedra Brock Fleetwood’s request for appropriation of $5,000 for the PSC grant to go towards counseling of domestic violence victims.
  • Approved Lawrence County Public Defenders Administrative assistance Kathy McDowell’s request for additional transfer of $41,000 for a position that is already in the budget.
  • Approved Lawrence County Community Corrections Director Chad Shew’s request to pay $125 a week for a Community Corrections officer who works on-call after regular hours.
  • Approved Lawrence County Auditor Jessica Staggs’ request of $7,750 for repairs to a wall at the Lawrence County Courthouse Plaza. The wall was damaged due to weather-related issues.