Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler is defending his decision to hire former executive director of Metro East Sanitary District Steve Adler on a temporary basis to help the county in its response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Adler, who started in the role March 15, will be paid the equivalent of a $95,000 annual salary. He is assisting with mandates issued by the state on quarantine preparation, on special requests from within the county related to the crisis and in overall communications, Prenzler said.
The county will seek reimbursement of Adler's compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Prenzler said.
Adler said he is currently working on a Housing and Urban Development program to help Madison County homeowners having trouble with mortgage payments due to the coronavirus-related economic disruption. He said his expertise is administrative, and that his role is not interfering with efforts of the county health department.
"I'm a former county board member and have the chairman's trust to intervene where needed in time of crisis," Adler said. "The county needs help right now, and I am helping however he (Prenzler) needs me to help."
To critics who say that funds Prenzler seeks to reimburse the county for Adler's compensation should go towards county workers "on the front lines," Prenzler responds that it is "not the same thing" as some departments who have requested comp time or additional pay for workers required to show up in person to do their jobs.
County administrator Doug Hulme, who is currently working from home as many department heads are, said that Adler has technical knowledge and is experienced with state and local government operations. He said that experience can help county departments respond to the crisis.
"Part of our response is planning for the unknown," Hulme said in a statement to the Record. "Steve's job is temporary. He was a county board member; he worked for the state. He is an operating engineer by trade and an expert at understanding facilities that might be needed in this response."