Starke Commissioners Deny Recommendation for Extra Clerk’s Office Employee

The Starke County Commissioners earlier this week refused to support the county clerk’s request to add an additional employee to her office. Clerk Evelyn Skronski approached the commissioners asking for their recommendation to the county council for another full-time employee and one part-time employee, but the commissioners said that they don’t expect to see an increase in her staffing any time soon.

Skronski told the commissioners that the special election to be held this year is going to be stretching the employees to their limits, and with the regularly-increasing workload for the office, Skronski said extra help is practically a necessity.

While Commissioner Jennifer Davis agreed that the clerk’s office is busy, she noted that every office in the county is busy as well – another reason that the council is not likely to approve the hiring of any additional employees. If one office in the county is approved for extra help, the other offices would likely approach the council and commissioners with similar requests.

Commissioner Kathy Norem suggested that Skronski look into ways to lighten the office’s workload, such as allowing the state to handle child support matters.

Because Skronski did not receive a recommendation from the commissioners to be presented to the council, she told Auditor Kay Chaffins to remove her from the council agenda.