The council, however, expressed their reservations regarding the hire of another employee, and suggested that Garling look into ways to cut down on the amount of work required in the office. The county will be installing a new time system to clock employees in and out, which would reduce the amount of work done in the auditor’s office. On top of that, the council recommended that Garling cross-train her employees, allowing them to handle multiple tasks within the office.
Garling expressed that there are not enough hours in the day for her office to complete the work they are assigned, and with multiple deadlines regularly approaching, they are constantly torn between helping taxpayers in the office and working on state-mandated tasks that must be done on time.
Garling requested that the council allow her to hire an additional full-time employee, and said that with one full-time employee retiring next year, she would be able to slide the new employee in the retiree’s stead and press on with little to no complications.
The council told Garling that they are also concerned that if they approve an additional employee for her office, the other offices will also come forward requesting additional help. The council ultimately made no motion on the matter and instructed Garling to find ways to make her office more efficient, reducing the need for an additional employee.
