Staff writer
The Marion County appraiser’s office will be relocated while air quality problems at the office in the courthouse are addressed.
At Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners approved renting upstairs space at Great Plains Computers and Networking in Marion for $525 per week. The office is at 324 E. Main St. Office employees will be able to go downstairs to assist taxpayers.
“I’ll bet we’re over there from 30 to 60 days,” appraiser Cindy Magill said.
She thought the worst-case scenario would be about 90 days. Office staff will have to go to the courthouse to retrieve files, she said. Magill expects moving will take less than a day.
Air quality problems in the office at the courthouse have sickened employees.
In other business:
- Marion County will not receive about $1,500 of expected funds from the state for mineral taxes because of state budget concerns. Commission Chairman Dan Holub suggested that if the state can make its budget work by not meeting its responsibilities, the county should try the same.
- The sheriff’s department lost the use of its canine unit vehicle in an accident 1 a.m. Saturday when Deputy Matt Voth struck a telephone pole after turning to avoid a deer on 190th Road between Marion and Hillsboro. Sheriff Rob Craft suspected the vehicle was totaled. An outside agency worked the accident scene to avoid any conflict of interest or appearance thereof.
- Commissioners approved a joint resolution with Harvey County to replace service providers on Harvey-Marion County Community Development Disability Organization board with community members.
- Jailers were switched to hourly pay from monthly salary after Craft and Emergency Management and Communications Director Michele Abbott met with commission in closed session for 10 minutes to discuss personnel. The transition will make the jailers’ starting wages $10.30 per hour.
- Jamie Shirley of Emergency Medical Service office received a $100 monthly pay raise for working in the office one year, increasing her salary to $2,253 per month.
- Appraiser’s office employee Misty Potter received a $50 per month raise for working in the department six months, raising her salary to $1,610 per month.
The next commission meeting will be Monday.