A familiar face is returning to help out temporarily in the Oxford Township Clerk’s Office.
Township officials last week voted 4-3 to hire Susan McCullough as a part-time temporary employee beginning Oct. 15 and ending Dec. 31.
‘I was just elated that Susan made me aware that she was available,? said Clerk Clara Sanderson.
McCullough originally worked as Sanderson’s administrative assistant from 2000-04. She now works as a subsititute teacher for Lapeer Community Schools.
Sanderson said McCollough’s knowledge and experience in the clerk’s office means she will ‘require hardly any training whatsoever to be brought up to speed and could be productive immediately. McCullough will be paid $12.48 per hour and work approximately 20 hours a week.
The recent resignation of part-time employee Lori Exel and the upcoming retirement of Deputy Clerk Bev Johnson effective Dec. 31 necessitated the need for some temporary help in the clerk’s office.
Sanderson plans to promote Renee Wilson, the current administrative assistant to the clerk, to deputy clerk effective Jan. 1.
Training Wilson to take over the duties and responsibilities of deputy clerk will be a time-consuming process as she learns to do the bookkeeping for 21 funds, monthly financial reports, journal entries and quarterly sewer billing and recording of payments. Plus, she will be involved in the closing of the 2007 books and preparation for the 2007 audit.
Doing all this will cause some of Wilson’s current functions as administrative assistant to ‘lag,? according to Sanderson. Factor in the possibility of a January presidential primary and Sanderson said temporary help is ‘needed? during this ‘difficult time to pick up the slack.?
Sanderson plans to advertise and interview for a new administrative assistant to start Jan. 1.
But not all the township board shared Sanderson’s belief that temporary help was needed.
Trustee Sue Bellairs argued that existing township employees could help out in the clerk’s office until an administrative assistant was hired. ‘Everybody could pitch in for two months and work through this,? she said.
Bellairs argued township employees have plenty of time on their hands these days.
‘The office is dead right now,? she said. ‘There’s nothing going on. I can’t blame the employees for not doing anything because there’s nothing going on.?
Sanderson noted that at a recent meeting of township office staff, the part-time employees ‘were saying how difficult it is to meet all of their responsibilities.?
‘It is difficult for both the part-time employees to do what they have to do right now,? noted Supervisor Bill Dunn.
Sanderson used her 35 years of experience on the board to make a heartfelt plea that helped sway officials her way.
‘I’m pleading with you to be respectful of my years of service and my dedication to this community to please comply with what I feel is my requirements for my situation,? she said. ‘I can’t impress upon you enough how important this is.?