Chattooga County Commission Blake Elsberry said last week that he is having “a hard time finding people who want to apply” for open positions at the Chattooga County Water District.

Right now, the commissioner says that he is looking to fill two positions at the water district.  Both of those positions came open after employees with the water district found better paying jobs.  Commissioner Elsbery said, “Honestly, I think we are in the same situation a lot of people are; which is we are just having a hard time finding people who want…to apply.”  The commissioner went on to say that the water department should be operating with six people, but right now there are only three.

Elsberry said, “It makes it hard.  Especially on weekend calls and emergency after hours stuff.”

When asked if the problem attracting people to fill the positions was because the pay is too low, Elsberry replied “Uh…it could be.  It could be.  And that is something we will look at.”  When asked when the last time county employees had an across-the-board pay raise, Commissioner Elsberry replied, “I don’t know.”

The starting pay for the positions that are open at the water district is $12.50 per hour.