EMPLOYEES WALK OUT AT WASHINGTON CO. TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR’S OFFICE
The Washington County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office is short-handed after several employees suddenly quit.
County Tax Assessor Collector's Office Friday
afternoon.
County Judge John Durrenberger said three employees, including two full-time employees and one part-timer, walked out on Thursday, leaving Tax Assessor-Collector Cheryl Gaskamp as the only employee available to directly handle business such as vehicle registrations and title processing. Prior to Thursday’s walkout, another full-time employee had left the office to take another county position.
A line of customers stood in the hallway outside the office in the county courthouse this (Friday) afternoon. Gaskamp was busy assisting customers, while Carli Koehne, Executive Assistant in the County Judge’s Office, was answering phone calls. Update @ 4:25 p.m.: Elections Administrator Carol Jackson added that Janet Daniel, Elections Administrator Clerk, is also assisting the Tax Assessor-Collector's Office with taking phone calls.
Durrenberger and Precinct 4 Commissioner Dustin Majewski were unable to provide details on what led to the employees abruptly leaving.
According to Durrenberger, the county has hired replacement employees to fill the vacant positions. One employee is scheduled to come on board September 7th and begin training, but no specific timeline was given for when the other two employees could start training.
Durrenberger said the Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office will remain open during this time, and that “there’s no panic here.” When asked if hours for the office would change while staffing was short, he said that decision would be left up to Gaskamp, but he added she does not anticipate doing that and would prefer to leave the hours the same.
Commissioners called an emergency meeting at 9 a.m. today to discuss the matter and plan a path forward. The agenda notice was sent to county officials on Thursday and posted to the county’s website, but KWHI did not receive notice of the meeting directly.
An item on Tuesday’s commissioners court agenda calls for possible approval of “overtime pay for any county employee that assists the Washington County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office due to vacancies.” Majewski said the item was listed just in case people from other offices had the qualifications to work in the office and were able to help.
Majewski asked the public for understanding through this process, as the tax assessor-collector’s office is “very short-handed right now.”
You know what the problem with lies are? You cant keep them up long enough when people are finally waking up and seeing the world they were numb to
I have never been to that office and felt tension. Always seems natural to me. 🤷♀️ If Mgt is a problem it is probably the HIGHER Mgt. Sounds kind of planned to me. Why would they all go out at one time.? Don’t be so quick to say it was this or that.
I don’t personally know Mrs Gaskamp, but she is a very friendly person & always has a minute of her time to greet others anywhere. . Would I vote for her again? Sure I would, I voted for her the first time. Since the employees quit, the City will save on unemployment benefits
I think. Maybe just maybe, the higher ups that sit at the tables and discuss & decide things might need
To be checked out also. Someone has a lot of pull, the Fire Chief (RB)
definitely was a shock to our City.
Maybe too many hush hush meetings 🤷♂️ who knows!!
You do understand there is a dif in the city and the county, don’t you? Your comment has both muddled together.
If it was an elected official that caused the walk out, then we should be told. If it was because of pay (good for them!) then we as tax payers should know. But I do not see the truth coming out or being reported. It will be swept under the rug just like everything else that goes on.
This is Not nothing new for Washington County. The problems are Always swept under the rug. Why is No one talking about the county engineering and development- Road and Bridge. Several long term employees seem to not be working there any longer. 3 office employees gone in a month something ain’t right there. Might want to check into that before we spend All this $$$ on new equipment for that facility that’s on Agenda. Sounds like the same problem, The one’s staying Are probably your problem
Thanks for noticing we are gone….I agree with the comment about bosses.
People don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses.
Good Leadership builds good employees….God Bless Washington County.
So let me get this right……according to Durrenberger, three people walk out on Thursday. Friday morning, the commissioners hold an emergency session. And by Friday afternoon all three positions are filled. So one of three things could have happened:
1.) HR department are rockstars for posting positions, reviewing applicants, and hiring three employees all within a day.
2.) Durrenberger owns a Delorean. OR
3.) Somebody is caught being dishonest once again.
They do title and registration, but they are not DMV.
People don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses.
Exactly
One has to question the reason they walked out and what’s going on in that office.
Sounds like a management issue when that many are willing to walk out. You can always feel the tension when you go in there. Sounds like the same issue that Montgomery County had a few years ago.
They need to provide details of why the employees walked out. This isn’t a matter to keep secret from the tax paying citizens of Washington County!!!
Not looking good for re election. Every employee quit at the same time… From reading this article it’s obvious Cheryl Gaskamp is the major issue. I’ve lived in Brenham for 33 years and have never seen something as astonishing as this. Thank you KWHI for always reporting the news!
Wonder if hourly wages had something to do with it, places in town expect someone to survive in these times on a low pay scale.
It has nothing to do with wages and everything to do with the elected official.
Perhaps the new employees will be treated with more respect and our current ELECTED tax assessor will learn the importance of customer service.
Very curious as to why employee transfered out of Tax Office or why ones left there walked out? Must be more to this than the article states.