Last week's conviction of the former county health department worker, who was employed for nearly five years as a "nurse" and who did not have a valid Indiana nursing license, was as much an indictment of the county's personnel policy and management system as it was of the defendant's behavior.

Mistakes can happen in the best of circumstances, but a situation that lasts for almost five years rises to being more than just a mistake.

It became evident at the trial that although several county employees suspected and questioned this person's credentials for the position, there was no clear place for any of those employees to turn in order to air their concerns.

There is no one assigned in county government to receive those types of complaints, investigate them for validity, and then act on them. It took nearly five years for the predicament in the health department to come to a head. When it finally reached the commissioners the situation began to change for the better.

The time to hire a county manager is now. There should be one person in county government who is responsible to ensure all county positions have written job descriptions and that all county employees understand what their job duties entail. There should be one person who is responsible to verify licenses and certificates required for professional positions...and that should happen BEFORE a new hire begins work.

A county manager would also be responsible to consolidate supply ordering for all county offices and departments and to manage all maintenance contracts.

The position will cost money, of course. But if streamlining purchases saves money, it would be worth it. Saving the cost of a lengthy prosecution and jury trial would be an added benefit.

A county manager would direct county personnel matters efficiently, working closely with the department heads, and report directly to the commissioners.

Now that the county could be faced with a potential financial crisis, it is necessary for commissioners to make decisions that will have lasting positive effects for all community members.