SECTION 81.22. Use of Chapter 19 Funds for Temporary Employees

The Commissioners Court must budget for the adequate staffing of the voter registrar's office. Chapter 19 funds may be used for temporary personnel when exigent circumstance arise beyond the staffing resources budgeted by the Commissioners Court.

(1) Permanent full-time and part-time county employees may not be compensated with Chapter 19 funds. The voter registrar may have Chapter 19 funded temporary staffing a maximum of any 39 weeks out of the 52-week state fiscal year (September 1 through August 31). For example, if Employee A works one week and Employee B works the next week, the county is allowed only 37 more weeks of Chapter 19 funded temporary personnel. However, if the county employs 15 temporaries in the same week, this would count as only one week of the 39-week allowance. For tracking purposes, working one day of one week counts the same as working an entire week. For example, if Employee C works Monday only, it will count as one week of the 39-week Chapter 19 allowance.

(2) The Agency does not issue tax forms to temporary employees funded with Chapter 19 funds. For this reason, the Agency recommends that temporary employment agencies be used if available.

(3) The voter registrar should discuss the tax implications of using temporary personnel with the county auditor.

(4) The fee or rate of pay to be paid to temporary employees must reflect the fee or rate prevailing in the locale for the same or similar services.

(5) Work related injuries to temporary personnel hired with Chapter 19 funds are not the liability of the Agency.

Source Note: The provisions of this §81.22 adopted to be effective October 1, 1995, 20 TexReg 7277; amended to be effective January 3, 2007, 31 TexReg 10755; amended to be effective December 30, 2010, 35 TexReg 11569