Gene Hargis. Staff file photo.JASPER, Tenn. - Marion County's hiring freeze, which was intended to save money, could cost the county instead.
County Commission Chairman Gene Hargis said the mandate not to fill vacant positions is a temporary move to save money, but General Sessions Judge Mark Raines argued that losing employees in the county clerk's office will have the opposite effect.
Last week, Raines pleaded with commissioners to lift the freeze in the clerk's office because it is a "critical position to help us keep doing what we're doing and bringing money into the county."
The court generated more than $324,000 for the county between January and May, officials said.
"There's a tremendous amount of money that's being generated through General Sessions Court," Raines said. "It's a major undertaking to be able to track these fines and costs and to try and get them paid in a timely manner."
Losing a position would affect county revenue, he said.
"It's going to have an impact," he said. "I'll do everything in the world to try and minimize it. If we lose another pair of eyes and ears then it's pretty reasonable that it could cause the amount of money that's being collected to fall short."
Recently, officials revealed that Marion's Circuit Court had more than $200,000 in uncollected fines over the past year, but Raines said that's not the case with Sessions Court.
"I have been known to put people on probation," he said. "I monitor, and I make them come back to court. I do everything that's feasible and within the bounds of the law to make sure we're paid that money."
Hargis said the matter is certain to come up when budget talks resume this month.
"I think that's food for the next Finance Committee meeting," he said. "They'll have to address that. I think it's something we'll definitely have to look at."
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.