Cass board approval needed to hire people

WALKER -- Anticipating state aid cuts to local governments, the Cass County Board Tuesday set a moratorium on hiring any county employees without board approval.

The board has had in place for a year and a half a moratorium on creating any new employee positions.

Tuesday's action prevents filling any vacancies created by resignations or retirements, unless there is specific board action permitting a replacement for a specific vacancy.

The board will meet Tuesday in a special meeting to consider proposed local government aids cuts and the impact those cuts will have on Cass' budget. Ways to cut the 2003 county budget will be considered.

In response to a request from County Attorney Earl Maus, the board authorized having a job description prepared for a first assistant county attorney. This is with the understanding that, even if rated higher than other county attorney positions, the job probably would not pay more over the next two to three years than wages for other assistant county attorney employees.

The first assistant position, in addition to duties for other assistants, likely would become a non-union position assigned to such confidential matters as labor issues, acting as county attorney in the absence of the county attorney and assisting the county attorney with the annual budget.