By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Commissioners had a chance to review two positions in the county and decided in favor of one while cutting another.
The Marshall County Council recently voted that all positions in the county that became vacant should be reviewed by the commissioners, with a recommendation being given to the council on whether the position should be refilled or remain unfilled.

While one commissioner questioned the “point of order” of the council request, the commissioners did review two positions Monday — keeping one and doing away with another.
Mary Jane Wallsworth of the Marshall County probation department came before the commissioners seeking to rehire a position on her staff for a Family Support Services Counselor. Currently there are two such positions on her staff and one will be leaving county service Friday.
The counselor sees at least seven different juvenile offenders and their families each week, making contact every day with the juvenile, their family and others, such as teachers and coaches involved with their everyday life. The alternative to this kind of counseling would likely be incarceration — according to Wallsworth — at around $110 a day for an average of 90 days in most cases.
Counselors make about $50,000 a year working for the county program, including benefits. Wallsworth pointed to the obvious saving for the county in many ways as a reason to rehire the position.
Commissioner Kevin Overmyer questioned why Wallsworth would have to come before his board, since the position and salary for that position had already been approved by the Marshall County Council for the current year, and since the money had already been allocated.
The commissioners debated over proper action on the measure, finally voting to recommend that the council allow Wallsworth to rehire the position.
Highway Superintendent Neal Haeck did not fare so well, however.
Coming before the commissioners with a similar request — to rehire an assistant clerk in his office — he met with a different answer.
Haeck told the commissioners the position had been part of the highway department staff for at least 30 years, however the commissioners voted 2-1 not to allow Haeck to rehire someone for the position when it becomes vacant. Overmyer was the lone dissenting vote with Jack Roose and Tom Chamberlin voting for.
The position had a salary of around $25,000 for a job that was taken up by payroll demands and record keeping. Haeck said the person in the assistant clerk’s position was instrumental in keeping records that were admissible in court on cases where the county was held liable for road conditions.