CLEARFIELD – On Tuesday the Clearfield County Commissioners lifted a hiring and overtime freeze they imposed due to the state’s budget impasse.
The commissioners enacted the hiring and overtime freezes in August due to the state’s budget impasse. With the recent signing of the state’s budget, the commissioners moved to lift the freezes.
“Better late than never,” said Commissioner Chair Joan Robinson-McMillen of the state finally passing its budget.
McMillen said the commissioners would lift the hiring and overtime freezes, but wanted to stress to county departments to use the utmost discretion to avoid overtime. She asked that county departments do what they can to get work done in-office.
“Now we can move forward with our county budget,” said Commissioner Mark McCracken.
The recent budget passing did leave some county departments in a lurch. According to the commissioners Clearfield-Jefferson MHMR and the Clearfield County Conservation District were both hit hard by the recent budget. McMillen said they will be meeting with the departments/organizations.
This recent budget also does not contain funding for the district attorney’s salary, something that the state mandated upon itself. To date, Clearfield County has not received money from 2008 or 2009 from the state. McMillen said at a prior meeting that the state is required to pay for 60 percent of a county’s district attorney’s salary. McCracken said that legislation was part of the infamous 2005 pay-raise bill.