Brandon Twp. – After working for a financial planner for several years, Brandon Township resident Linda Cotton jumped at the chance to work in the community she has live in for the past eight years.
On Monday, Feb. 16, Cotton was introduced to the board as the part-time deputy of choice for the treasurer’s department.
While her boss, township treasurer Linda Owen says she should have introduced her sooner, she is glad to have Cotton on board since December 2003.
Owen says she was waiting until after the holidays and the training process to be over, but is now looking forward to Cotton being a familiar face to the public.
In November 2003 township treasurer Linda Owen terminated former deputy treasurer Diana Reckwald, stating she needed to have someone she could trust working in the department.
Within a week of the termination, Owen hired Cotton as a part-time deputy.
‘She heard I was looking and applied for the position,? Owen said.
Although the township will pay nearly $8,000 of unemployment to Reckwald, Owen says she is saving money by hiring Cotton as a part-time employee because Reckwald was making $16.83 an hour, plus holiday pay and dental benefits.
Cotton is currently making $10.60 an hour for the part-time position, without holiday pay or dental benefits.
Owen says the deputy treasurer position still requires a full-time employee to get the job done, but for now she and her assistant treasurer, Kim Sherman are working overtime to supplement the position.
‘In the past this department had no overtime,? said Owen.
‘Now Kim and I are working additional overtime to cover the additional work.?
‘We’ll continue to do that until after the election, at which time (if I win) the position will go back to a full-time position.
Owen further states that the position is approved and budgeted for full- time, however she was not comfortable promising a full-time position to Cotton until after the township board elections are over in November 2004.
‘I’m looking forward to this going full-time, but Linda is happy with part- time and I didn’t want to promise her a full-time position until the election is over,? Owen said.
Cotton says she is happy working part-time as Deputy Treasurer and likes the work involved.