GEORGETOWN — A proposed policy limiting social and political expression by county employees during working hours is tabled for now, but not before prompting a farreaching discussion during a Dec. 10 Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting.
County Manager Rebecca Clemons said the policy consideration was sparked by a pair of recent complaints related to personal expression, leading to a discussion among commissioners about the right to free speech while maintaining decorum and positive relationships in a taxsupported job. In other business, commissioners received an update on the hiring search for additional death investigators.
In the first item, while the conversation ranged from whether it is appropriate to erect religious displays or post images of political figures in the office, commissioners directed Clemons to do additional work on the policy for future review — or even handle the issue on a case-by-case basis. “I’d like for us not to address the issue again,” County Judge Bill Gravell said. “I’d like for you, as the county manager, to address the issue when it’s brought to you by department heads or elected officials, and if you need wisdom or input from the court, you’ll seek it at that time.” Commissioners have been mulling the inclusion of a policy designed to limit social and/or political expression of county employees while on the job.
A draft of the proposed policy notes it is “... in the interest of preventing actual or expected workplace disruption and promoting harmony and professionalism among co-workers and the public.”
To that end, the policy would promote a “... neutral presence respectful of differing viewpoints in employee workspaces, break areas, restrooms, countyowned vehicles or in public view.” The proposed policy also would cover posters, images, signs, flags and memorabilia.
“We had two different concerns that were brought to us,” Clemons said. “One about posting some stuff in a shared office space and the other one in a building in Georgetown on a window where the public would see it.”
Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey took issue with the measure, suggesting it posed a slippery slope “Where do you go with it?” she asked rhetorically. “That’s where I’m having a problem. Where does it stop? Do we not put up Christmas decorations?”
However, Gravell initially argued for some controls.
The county judge invoked this scenario: “If an employee chooses to put up a Nazi flag in their office or display it from a window that is seen by the public, from what I’m being told by (human resources) and legal counsel is they have a right to do that unless we have a policy in place that would preclude that.”
Gravell turned to legal counsel Hal Hawes for guidance.
“It’s not an unrestricted right by an employee to do whatever they want because it does affect the workplace and the ability to manage employees and the ability to conduct the county’s business,” Hawes said.
Noting her recent purchase of a Christmas tree to decorate the county office for the holiday season, Covey warned of unintended consequences to such a policy.
“It’s a slippery slope and I would hope that our employees would be considerate of other employees and not put up offensive things,” she said.
Gravell — who repeatedly wished some speakers a Merry Christmas at the beginning of the meeting — had something of a change of heart after Covey invoked the holiday tree.
“I’m actually with you when it comes to the Christmas tree that we have down in the rotunda,” he said. “What about the decorations outside the courthouse our team spent a month putting up? What if that becomes offensive?”
Clemons disabused both of the notion of a Christmas tree ban: “Speaking specifically to the Christmas tree, there is history with that. Over time, that is no longer seen as a religious symbol, so there is case law on that one that they do allow those.”
Covey brought up posters of historical figures who are inherently political — Ronald Reagan or a triumphant Donald Trump following an assassination attempt — as potentially banned, giving Gravell further pause.
“Am I going to have to give up my ‘Make Williamson County Great Again’ hat?” he said. “Do I get to keep that or give it up? If this policy were in place, my cross that is in my office — would I have to remove that?”
Ultimately, Gravell withdrew his motion initially supporting the measure. He directed Clemons to tweak the policy some more before bringing it up for consideration again.
Death Inquest Department gets boost
Commissioners unanimously approved additional funding to the newly created Death Inquest Department toward the goal of hiring four investigators — two of them classified as “senior” death investigators.
To that end, $47,827 was transferred and would be paid through the normal biweekly period, according to a county document. Funding for four new positions was approved during the fiscal year 2025 budget process, with funding for the new department now exceeding $300,000.
“Very seldom do I get involved in the hiring process,” Gravell — a member of the hiring committee — said after the vote. “Members of the court, it is stunning and overwhelming the quality of the (candidates) we interviewed. I sat with all four of our (justices of the peace) as we interviewed candidates, and there was one particular candidate that we interviewed we surmised had more death inquest experience than the five of us combined. There’s just really some stunning candidates.”
The quality of applicants — some graduates of the forensics school at Baylor University — bodes well for building a top-notch department focused on death investigations, the judge told Clemons, whose department would oversee the fledgling unit.
“If they take the offer, I think you’re going to be able to set up the premier death-inquest shop not only in Texas but, perhaps, America,” Gravell said.
Covey offered a cautionary tone while suggesting work productivity of four justices of the peace who have taken on the role of death investigators should increase once the new hiring takes place.
“I’ll support this today,” Covey began. “However, this now has grown to 300,000-plus dollars to provide a service that we’re not decreasing funding from other people that had this role,” she said “My expectation with this is to see a great increase in productivity from the four JPs because now we’ve given them back 12 weeks of their life.”
She directed Clemons to monitor that envisioned bolstered productivity.
“My expectation is we will see a greater capacity for all of their activities, and I’m not talking about extra activities but the core duties of their office,” she said. “That’s a lot of money to spend for individuals — that are doing a good thing, I’m not suggesting otherwise.”
Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long was absent from the vote.
