Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 117, No. 28	July 15, 2009

‘Lack of work’ leads to county employee layoff

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

After a one hour and 45-minute closed session July 10, the Meade County Fiscal Court laid off the county attorney’s receptionist, Jennie Simmons.

County Judge Executive Harry Craycroft said Simmons was laid off “due to lack of work,” but he
couldn’t go into specifics until after he drafted a letter to her July 15.

Craycroft didn’t return a call for comment Monday.

This is the second closed session Fiscal Court has held to discuss personnel matters. The first one, lasting the same amount of time, was held earlier in the month and resulted in no action being taken.

Simmons was hired for the position in early October, after a recommendation was made by County Attorney Margaret Matney.

She had initially recommended Simmons at an earlier meeting, but magistrates balked because an advertisement wasn’t placed to applicants.

After the advertisement was placed, six resumes were received, but Matney continued in her recommendation of Simmons.

Matney recommended her hiring, in part because of her knowledge of several court-related matters due to her previous employment.

The motion was made by Magistrate Randall Hardesty and supported by Magistrate Mark Hubbard. It was adopted unanimously without comment.

Magistrates entered into the closed session, along with Matney, at the beginning of the meeting.

Matney emerged from the room at 7:20 p.m. Simmons was called into the room at 7:30 briefly and at 7:45 p.m. all of the personnel re-entered the courtroom.

Matney was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

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