Staff Report
The Rowan County Personnel Board has rejected a request to upgrade an administrative secretary position in the Sheriff’s Office to administrative assistant.
Sheriff George Wilhelm hired Patrick Carman to replace his secretary, Kathy Hudgins, who resigned June 17 amidst an audit by the State Bureau of Investigation into embezzlement.
Under the county’s classification, the position is an Administrative Secretary 5.
Ken Deal, county director of administration, said Wednesday the reclassification occurs when duties change. All county jobs are audited every three years for possible reclassification.
When the Human Resources Department didn’t reclassify the position, the Sheriff’s Office took the issue to the Personnel Board.
The board, consisting of Rowan County Board of Commissioners Chairman Arnold Chamberlain and Vice Chairman Chad Mitchell, voted against changing the title or classification.
The Sheriff’s Office has seven full-time secretaries, one full-time secretary in the detention center and six part-time secretaries.
Carman, the new administrative secretary, is a native of Florida.
A graduate of Catawba College with a bachelor of science in business, Carman said he has worked for 35 years in business, primarily in printing.
A resident of Salisbury, Carman said his duties in the Sheriff’s Office will include the “the upper end of the business … procedures and policies,” adding that he will still be assisting the sheriff.
Carman’s salary is $35,665.
Deal said the position will be reviewed at a later date.
Sheriff Wilhelm was not immediately available.