Todd Fiscal Court approved the hiring of a new treasurer during its first meeting of August and magistrates are considering options for offering COVID pay to county employees who become sick or quarantined.
Judge-Executive Todd Mansfield says the initial COVID pay program has expired and multiple employees have recently needed it with the spike in new cases.
Magistrate Brent Spurlin isn’t opposed to paying employees who become ill with COVID, but believes being vaccinated should be a pre-cursor requirement for that pay—as a very low percentage of new cases in Todd County have been breakthrough cases.
While Spurlin’s version of the program would not be any kind of vaccine mandate as a condition of employment with the county, Squire Jimmy Turner said he couldn’t support the requirement for COVID pay. County Attorney Jeff Traughber vowed to write two versions of an ordinance with and without the requirement to be considered later this month.
The version without the vaccine requirement would also pay employees forced to quarantine, while vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine after becoming a direct contact.
Judge Mansfield announced the Treasurer Committee reviewed seven applicants and ultimately decided to hire Misty Carlock as assistant treasurer for the remainder of the year while she’s trained by Tammy Robertson to take over at the beginning of 2022.
Carlock currently serves as community relations director at Arcadia Senior Living of Clarksville.
In other action, magistrates unanimously approved changing the name of Water District Road to Dr. George Brown Road to honor the late veterinarian who served 50 years on the Todd Water District Board.