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A lengthy statement regarding budget and employee issues was read by Washington County Juvenile Court Judge Timothy Williams during Thursday morning’s meeting of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.
At last week’s meeting, Commissioner Kevin Ritter said he believes a court order Williams issued “has effectively usurped the appropriating authority of the Board of Commissioners and called into question the legitimacy of the budgetary process.”
The court order stemmed from a request from Williams for appropriations of more than $53,000 for pay raises for 20 of the 25 employees of the county’s juvenile center, made retroactively to Nov. 17.
Williams said his comments regarded recent actions of the commissioners “with respect to myself, my employees and the court.”
“Recognizing that the courts are an independent branch of government with inherent authority to effectuate an orderly and efficient administration of justice acknowledges that a healthy tension must exist between the court’s authority and the commissioner’s obligation,” Williams quoted from the County Commissioners Association of Ohio Handbook. “What I have seen transpire recently is anything but healthy tension! In my 23 years as a judge, I have never seen county commissioners behave the way you three have.”
He said the conflict between with the commissioners started when he ordered his budget, which included pay scale adjustments for 21 of his employees.
“Regardless of what has been said, these were not raises or cost of living increases,” he explained. “These adjustments were given to those of my employees who I felt were underpaid in light of the new pay range scale approved by the county commissioners for Children Services workers who unionized as a result of the merger between the Department of Job and Family Services and Children Services Board.”
Williams said the Children Services workers deserved their pay increases, as did his employees.
Ritter had advised Williams on Nov. 15 that “right now, we are still waiting for the budget numbers from the auditor and we don’t yet know what our unencumbered balance will be for January.”
He said after the meeting that he still believed the pay increases were “reasonable and worthy of consideration.”
“It’s not about the numbers. It’s about the way it came about,” Ritter said. “It’s about the court order. It’s our duty as the appropriating authority for the county.”
Williams said the Ohio Judicial Conference Budget Resource Handbook states the funding authority may only refuse to fund a court’s request if the funding authority can demonstrate that the order constitutes an abuse of discretion and is unreasonable.
“Even if the court’s request would work a hardship or burden on other offices or agencies, the funding authority must comply with the order if the funding request is reasonable,” Williams quoted from the handbook.
He said he understood the commissioners are upset, but he wants to move forward.
“I’m protecting my employees, just as you protected the employees of Children Services and other unions. There are seven unions in this county and you have no problem signing off giving them increases,” Williams said. “I don’t either. If they do their job, great. But I don’t know why you’re not willing to do the same for not just my office but for instance, clerk of courts, treasurer, auditor, you name them. Any other non-unionized office. What’s going to happen is those offices should consider unionizing, if that’s what it takes. That’s going to cost you a lot more money. Let’s be reasonable. Let’s be polite, professional. We have to work together.”
Commission President David White and Commissioner Ron Feathers did not comment during the meeting about Williams’ statement.
In other business:
• Mike Montgomery, board president, and Karissa Reynolds, manager, of the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley, reported on the number of dogs and cats currently housed at the shelter. There are 98 cats in-house, which is down from 147 from the last report. There are 59 dogs in-house, down from 73 from the last report.
From Nov. 18-Dec. 18, 29 dogs and 56 cats were adopted, with 13 dogs and two cats going to rescue homes.
• Dawn Rauch, planning director for Washington-Morgan Community Action, told commissioners there will be extended hours on the Community Action Bus Lines by Feb. 1.
For fixed routes, city route A, hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; city route C east and route super C hours will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; and paratransit hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For deviated fixed routes, the New Matamoras county route will be 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday; Belpre county route will be 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Friday; city A route from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday; and city C east and super C routes will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Starting in the fourth quarter of 2020, there will be two demand response routes for other locations around the county, she said. Those hours will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.
Dates to remember:
• Courthouse closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.
•Regular commission meeting, 9 a.m., Thursday, Commissioner Room.
• Meeting to Adopt 2020 Appropriations, 9 a.m., Dec. 30, Commissioner Room.
• Annual organizational meeting, 9 a.m., Jan. 6, Commissioner Room.
• Monthly county home meeting, 8:30 a.m., Jan. 14, county home.
Source: Washington County Commission Clerk.