County Suspends Tuition Program

Saying his studies "are leading me in a new direction," County Administrator David Hamilton has withdrawn his request for tuition reimbursement.

And, at Hamilton's request, county commissioners on Tuesday suspended the county's tuition program until October, allowing a standing committee on budget and finance to evaluate its efficacy during these bad economic times.

Hamilton said he instead plans to write a book based on his experiences in government.

He asked commissioners for their support and goodwill as he continues his work without using taxpayer funds.

Because of the struggling economy, commissioners were in the process of reviewing Hamilton's tuition request, which would have come to $2,628.

At Hamilton's request, commissioners also voted 5-0 to suspend the county's entire tuition reimbursement policy until October, giving the budget committee time to review it and make recommendations.

Hamilton said this will not affect those employees already granted permission for reimbursement.

With the county facing a $10 million shortfall in the general fund alone, it makes sense to put the program on hold, Hamilton said.

No more applications will be taken until a final decision is made.

The budget committee earlier this month discussed the program and members were divided on its continuance.

After almost 45 minutes of debate, the committee decided it didn't have enough hard data to make a recommendation to county commissioners and will broach the issue after Human Resources Director Cheryl Marsden returns with a draft document.

In related news:

Hamilton received an overall 3.96 on his annual evaluation. The range is 1-5, with one being unacceptable and 5 excellent.

Overall, commissioners gave Hamilton 11 acceptable grades, 49 good and 14 excellent.

None of the commissioners gave him an unacceptable or poor mark.

Hamilton said he is pleased to serve the board and the citizens of Hernando County. But now that the honeymoon period is over, the daunting task to implement the streamlining initiatives he introduced his first year will begin.

Commissioner Jeff Stabins questioned jokingly if Hamilton's high score qualifies him for a Bright Futures scholarship, referring to the state program which rewards students for academic achievement.