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 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 7^th 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.”