A new edict from state government is creating a dilemma for Yellowstone County Treasurer Sherry Long – and perhaps for other county treasurers in the state.
The state Department of Justice has informed Long that all of her employees must undergo a background check in order to have access to the state’s computer system that processes all of the state’s data – a program called Merlin.
Long brought her concerns to county commissioners and the county legal advisors last week. At the crux of her concern is the imposition of a requirement on her employees who are already employed. To pass a background check was not part of the terms of their employment. What happens should they not pass a background check? What legal situation does it put the county in should they impose a new requirement on its employees?
While the idea of employees undergoing background checks may be a good idea for the future, and could be added to future job descriptions, it raises questions and poses problems that need to be addressed now, believes Long.
