The Jefferson County Commission at its regular meeting on April 18 2024
The Jefferson County Commission voted during a special meeting on April 22 2024 to hire Edwina “Eddie” Benites-LM to continue permanently as the County Administrator. Benites-LM has been filling in as County Administrator on an interim basis since January 2024 and will now transition to occupying the position in a permanent capacity. Benites-LM joined the county a year ago in April 2023 as the Executive Director of the Jefferson County Development Authority and she will also continue to staff that position on a part-time basis until the JCDA hires a new director.
The County Commission interviewed several candidates for the Administrator position, meeting in executive session and then returning to open session after the interviews were completed. During the open discussion, Commissioner Krouse remarked that there were several good candidates but also suggested that the Commission hold off on voting until its May 2 meeting; Tricia Jackson said she also wanted to delay action, citing concerns about “hiring in haste.” The other three commissioners indicated that they were ready to move forward and the commissioners then voted 3-2 for Benites-LM, with Steve Stolipher, Jane Tabb, and Pasha Majdi in support and Tricia Jackson and Jennifer Krouse voting no.
Following the vote, Commissioner Krouse questioned how the Commission could hire Benites-LM without confirming she would accept the job at the salary offered, to which Commissioner Stolipher responded, “Then she won’t accept the job. Pretty simple, it’s not rocket science.” Krouse retorted to Stolipher with “none of this is rocket science or you wouldn’t be here,” adding to the record of indecorous comments that has become a regular pattern at the Commission meetings over the past two years (link).
Action Needed On Many Issues
The Commission has a long list of issues that need attention. The hiring of Benites-LM fills a critical staff role, but the Commission still lacks anyone to oversee its human resources responsibilities. Human resources had previously been assigned to a dedicated Deputy Administrator position, but Benites-LM has proposed changing the deputy role from a specific position to an ad hoc responsibility that could be assigned to any of the county’s department heads as needed to fill a temporary absence of the Administrator. Benites-LM has asked the Commission several times for permission to recruit for a dedicated HR position, but the Commission has yet to take any action on this request.
The Commission also does not have a Finance Director on staff. The previous County Administrator, Makayla Zonfrilli, convinced the Commission shortly after she was hired in May 2023 that she could take on the Finance Director responsibilities herself. The Commission allowed Zonfrilli to create and fill a more junior level Budget Director position to provide assistance in the budgeting process. When the question came up about restoring the Finance Director position during the budget meetings earlier this spring, the commissioners opted to keep the existing Budget Director position funded, supplemented by assistance from an outside CPA hired on a consulting contract.
During the recent discussions and voting on next year’s county budget, the Commission acknowledged that it would need to revisit both the budget for fiscal year 2025 (which begins on July 1) and the current year (FY2024) budget. The issue with the FY2024 budget was confusion about whether funds earmarked for the “rainy day” and the capital outlay funds were properly transferred in prior year budgets, along with the normal changes between budgeted and actual spending that happen during the course of the year. The Commission also has yet to take action on cost of living adjustments (COLA) or merit pay increases in FY2025 for county employees.
Other issues that the Commission will need to address are an update to the zoning ordinance for industrial solar facilities, a request for a special taxation district agreement from the developers of the Hill Top House in Harpers Ferry, an update to the impact fees paid by new developments, and a proposal to set a referendum for a fire levy that was proposed earlier in the year but deferred by the Commission. The Commission also needs to approve the updated Comprehensive Plan by the end of 2024.
Commission Turmoil Ongoing
The week after the Commission finalized Benites-LM role as County Administrator, a special panel of 3 Circuit Court judges appointed by the Supreme Court issued an order on May 1 to remove commissioners Tricia Jackson and Jennifer Crouse from office. The ruling was in response to a petition brought by Matt Harvey, the county’s Prosecuting Attorney that alleged “official misconduct and neglect of duty.” Jackson and Krouse are also facing separate criminal proceedings in Magistrate Court related to the actions that triggered the petition for removal.
By Steve Pearson