IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
DOMESTIC RELATIONS SECTION
2003-8
In re: Domestic Relations Section Vacancies )
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF COURT
AND NOW, this day of October, 2003, upon consultation with the Director of the Domestic Relations Section of Northampton County and the Northampton County Court Administrator, and based upon the existing four (4) full-time vacancies in the Domestic Relations
Section which have not been posted for hire, the Court finds as follows:
1. Upon review of the attached Memorandum from Ruth Vega-Velez, Northampton County Domestic Relations Director, dated September 30, 2003, wherein the Court learned that the unfilled vacancies create the following liabilities for the Domestic Relations Section, the families serviced by the Domestic Relations Section and ultimately, the taxpayers of Northampton County:
a. Currently, Northampton County has four (4) full-time vacant positions in the Domestic Relations Section, all of which are critical to the continued day-to-day operations including one Clerical Technician I, one Clerical Technician II and two Support Technicians I positions.
b. The failure to fill the four (4) full-time vacancies will result in the failure/inability of the Domestic Relations Section to meet its audit requirements thereby losing all or part of federal funding, reimbursement and/or incentives.
c. The failure to fill the above-referred vacant positions will result in the inability of the Domestic Relations Sections to adequately process new cases, adequately review modification requests and adequately collect support monies due for support of children and dependent spouses.
d. The failure to fill the above-referred positions will likely result in the loss of reimbursement funding for the entire Domestic Relations staff at a 67% rate of recovery which, for the most recent fiscal year of 2002, resulted in revenue of $2,416,676.00 to the Northampton County General Fund and will further likely result in audit requirements requiring mandatory hirings thereby increasing county expenditures.
THEREFORE, we ORDER that the Northampton County Human Resources Department immediately post the four (4) full-time vacant positions consisting of one Clerical Technician I, one Clerical Technician II and two Support Technicians I and upon the end of the required posting period, the names of the qualifying candidates immediately be forwarded to the Domestic Relation Section for purposes of conducting interviews for hire.
The Court further ORDERS that upon conclusion of the interviewing process, the selected candidates will immediately be hired by an Order of this Court.
BY THE COURT:
ROBERT A. FREEDBERG, P.J.
______________________________
STEPHEN G. BARATTA
ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE
DOMESTIC RELATIONS
SECTION