By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Council began wrestling with employment issues that will be at the heart of the coming budget.
A week ago the Marshall County Commissioners gave an unfavorable recommendation to the Council on filling a vacant assistant clerk position at the Marshall County Highway Department. Superintendent Neal Haeck was before the Council hoping to change their minds.

Along with Haeck was some reinforcement in an unexpected form – the two Commissioners who voted against rehiring the position the week before.
Commissioner Jack Roose accompanied Haeck to explain his reasoning for voting no on the motion a week ago, and the other no vote, Commissioner Tom Chamberlin, also accompanied Haeck to explain his position.
Roose told the Council that his no vote was predicated on his desire for more information. Roose stated that he had desired to table the issue a week ago for more information on the exact duties of the position, in particular the relationship to payroll, an issue the Commissioners are investigating to find methods to streamline for all departments.
Chamberlin told the Council that his no vote was based on discussions that he and Haeck have had over the fact that Chamberlin’s stance that the department will have to cut a position in next year’s budget.
Roose said that he had reconsidered his “no” vote after investigating the amount of money that the position brings into the county by staying on top of federal reimbursements that are due to the county for fees paid out of pocket for road work as well as records regarding road repair that protect the county in cases of litigation.
Chamberlin said he felt that there was another position within the department that he would rather see cut, that would also put the county ahead on the bottom line.
Council members then debated just exactly what the procedure on the matter should be. Commissioner Kevin Overmyer a week ago had wondered the “point of order” of the council resolution for all open jobs to be reviewed by both the Commissioners and the Council for whether on not they would be refilled.
Councilman Ralph Booker voiced a similar concern stating that the commissioners were the body that had jurisdiction over “day-to-day” operations in the county and the position was already budgeted for the current year.
President Matt Hassel said the council vote would reflect the position of the Council on whether the position — hired or rehired currently — would be approved by the Council in the coming year’s budget.
The Council approved Haeck rehiring the position with Councilman Ward Byers opposed.
Byers agreed with Cham-berlin, but questioned Haeck on when the Council would see the reduction of a position in his department.
The Council also dealt with the issue of a raise in pay for an assistant nurses position for the Marshall County Health Department. Byers raised the issue of Councilman Don Morrison’s resolution from a month ago that placed a freeze on any “new” positions being hired in the county.
The department assured the Council that the position was not a “new” one — that in fact several people have held the position that helps in the Health Department’s vaccination program. The raise would also be paid for out of grant money that is received by the county for “Tobacco Free Marshall County.”
The Council voted to allow the position and raise.