WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS APPROVE QUARANTINE LEAVE POLICY
Washington County Commissioners enacted a policy to provide paid quarantine leave for certain county employees at their meeting today (Tuesday).
The policy, which is required by the state after the passing of House Bill 2073 during the 87th Legislature, will provide paid quarantine leave for peace officers, jailors and emergency medical technicians if they are ordered by a supervisor or the health authority to quarantine or isolate due to possible or known exposure to a communicable disease while on duty.
Commissioner Joy Fuchs said the state mandated that employees in public safety departments be provided this option for paid quarantine leave, and that this is not a “pick and choose by the commissioners court” in determining which departments are eligible.
Commissioner Candice Bullock called this “another unfunded mandate,” saying this is “something that the state is requiring of us to do without providing us appropriate funding.”
Commissioner Kirk Hanath added that this is considered extra pay and is separate from sick time and vacation time, which he said cannot be deducted from for quarantine leave. He said the legislature may complain about property taxes, but when they do, “they need to understand that unfunded mandates such as this are a direct correlation to the property tax.”
Also during commissioners court, Washington County Historical Commission Chair Tom Stevens recapped the historical commission’s youth history camp held in August at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Stevens called the camp a “great success” and said each of the 30 children who participated in the camp had a great time learning real Texas history and taking part in hands-on activities. Each of the commissioners thanked Stevens and other camp organizers for their efforts in hosting the camp.
Also at today’s meeting, commissioners:
- Approved an order authorizing the issuance of up to $950,000 in bonds for road improvements in the Pecan Glen Road District, levying an ad valorem tax rate of 15 cents per $100 valuation on residents of the Pecan Glen subdivision in support of the bonds, and other matters related to the bonds. The Pecan Glen tax rate will be adopted when commissioners adopt the county’s tax rate on September 14th. The bond is being taken out by the road district, not by Washington County; therefore, any increase in property taxes will only apply to residents of the Pecan Glen subdivision.
- Approved a subdivision variance request for a land division fronting Lehmann Lane in Precinct 2.
- Tabled an item for a generator at the EMS helicopter hangar.
- Approved accounts payable, which included $17,590 for a month of appointed attorney’s fees in district court and $12,419 for a month of appointed attorney’s fees in county court at law. Fuchs said the county is reimbursed for very little of those fees.