Clear Creek County commissioners have reduced the county coroner to part-time in a continued effort to cut budget expenses. Meanwhile, they are retaining contracts with the county manager and attorney, according to commission agendas.
County Coroner Chris Hegmann was informed his position would be reduced to a part-time job during a meeting of commissioners Dec. 19.
In the same meeting, commissioners continued contracts for County Manager Brian Bosshardt and County Attorney Peter Lichtman. Public records show both positions have a current salary of $179,644 a year.
County spokesperson Megan Hiler said neither the county manager nor the attorney had received a raise in at least two years. Both contracts run through Dec. 18, 2028, according to county records.
However, in a letter to county commissioners obtained by the Clear Creek Courant, Hegmann, who has held the coroner position for approximately 25 years, said he was blindsided by the decision to cut the position to part-time and questioned the effectiveness of part-time work.
“I was taught at the beginning of my career and have been training my team to treat every person that we come into contact with as we would want our family treated. I have always given 110% to fulfill my role,” Hegmann wrote. “I don’t even know how to scale that back to 50% or less. I really don’t want to have to figure that out.”
The county recently announced at least four full-time positions will be eliminated and county offices will go to a four-day workweek with a 32-hour work week.
Current employees in the positions of County Archivist, Geographic Information Systems Technician (mapping), Recreation Facilities Manager and Senior Planning Administrator will lose their jobs, according to commissioner George Marlin.
Employees will maintain a full-time status working 32 hours a week and keep healthcare and other full-time benefits, according to County Commissioner George Marlin, who said the short week for employees is in lieu of wage increases.
“Instead of giving them the raise they deserve, we’re putting them at 32 hours so we’re giving them some time back. That’s basically to defer giving them raises,” Marlin said.
According to his letter to commissioners, Hegmann doesn’t really know where he fits in after Jan. 1.
“Does the part-time Coroner need a contract similar to those of the County Attorney and County Manager?” Hegmann asked commissioners in addition to asking if incoming commission members are aware of the changes by the current commission.
The commission will include two new faces when Rebecca Lloyd from District 2 and Jodie Harman-Bell are sworn in on Jan. 13. Both won in the November election.
They will replace term-limited commissioner Randy Wheelock and interim commissioner Mitch Houston who was appointed in May following the death of commissioner Sean Wood.
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