A key position in Henry County’s administration has been unfilled for seven months, and it will be a little while longer before that issue is resolved.

  A resolution authorizing the county clerk to fill the deputy county clerk position was removed from the agenda at the Henry County Board of Commissioners’ December 3 regular meeting, but only after considerable discussion as well as indications from several board members that a new deputy county clerk needs to be hired soon.

  The position has been vacant since May 10 of this year, according to the wording in the resolution that was drawn up for a possible board vote. “The continued vacancy in the position of deputy county clerk has created an undue burden on the county clerk,” the resolution stated.

  Board chair June Wood pointed out that the situation has caused a strain on the current county clerk as well as some of the executive assistants in the administrative department. County manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews said that the executive assistant to the Board of Commissioners has been the main backup, but her own executive assistant has typically been the next person in line after that to help manage the workload.

  “Meetings are longer, there is more work to do,” said Wood, adding that the vacancy impacts other county departments as well. “We need to have this position filled.”

  The county clerk is appointed by the commissioners and answers directly to them, unlike virtually all other county departments which are under the county manager.

  Matthews said that the likely way to address the vacancy would be for the human resources department to advertise the position and accept applications, which would then be forwarded to the board. She said the board could form an interview panel consisting of three commissioners, or all of six of them could participate if that was their pleasure. She recommended that the county clerk’s participation in the process would be helpful also.

  Commissioner Vivian Thomas said that this item had been tabled a few months ago because the initial discussion had not been completed, and she urged the board twice during this discussion to bring it back up in executive session. But she was reminded by Wood as well as county attorney Patrick Jaugstetter that it was not an executive session item since it was addressing general qualifications for a position and not a special employee or candidate.

  Commissioner Dee Clemmons suggested bringing it back as soon as the job description and other necessary specifications are finalized, and she made the motion to remove the item from the December 4 agenda.