State law changes appointed employees' titles

By Sheryl Marsh
smarsh@decaturdaily.com · 340-2437

Two employees who were political appointments of Morgan County Commission Chairman John Glasscock have new titles and more job security.

The commission approved changing the administrator's title to chief executive officer and the deputy administrator to deputy chief executive officer.

Syble Atkins is county CEO and Carol Long is deputy CEO.

The changes are due to state law and the employees will not receive additional pay with the titles, Glasscock explained.

The bill passed in this year's session and took effect Sept. 1.

"This means that the chairman no longer has any political appointments," Glasscock said. "They are now county employees with merit system rights."

Appointed employees work at the pleasure of the elected official who put them in the positions, and if another person replaced the official, he could remove the appointed employees.

Now, that cannot happen.

As chairman pro tem, District 1 Commissioner Jeff Clark also gets a new title.

The law, which deals with municipal and county governments, changes commission chairman pro tem to vice chairman.

Another component of the law changes the day that newly elected commissioners enter office.

Rather than the first Tuesday, commissioners will go into office the first Wednesday after election.

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