Jackson County commissioner Dwain Smith supports enforcing the drug policy, but he is opposed to hiring a consultant to update the document.
At the board of commissioners meeting Monday night, Smith questioned human resources director Melanie Thomas about the $6,500 price for the consultant to do the update.
“I can’t see us wasting that kind of money for something we can do ourselves,” Smith said. “We are having to penny pinch on everything else and I feel like we can do this ourselves…I’m for a drug policy, but I just don’t see us spending that kind of money on a consultant. I’m for drug testing 100 percent.”
Smith said the Association County Commissioners of Georgia has a drug policy that the county could use as a guide.
“I question why pay $90 an hour for a consultant to write up a policy,” he said. “I just can’t see spending that kind of money on a consultant.”
No action was taken on the recommendation from Thomas to move forward with the update. The item will be on the agenda for a vote when the BOC meets at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 19, at the courthouse.

1. What is the purpose/goal of your program?
2. Who will be covered by your policy?
3. When will your policy apply?
4. What behavior will be prohibited?
5. Will employees be required to notify you of drug-related convictions?
6. Will your policy include searches?
7. Will your program include drug testing?
8. What will the consequences be if your policy is violated?
9. Will there be Return-to-Work Agreements?
10. What type of assistance will be available?
11. How will employee confidentiality be protected?
12. Who will be responsible for enforcing your policy?
13. How will your policy be communicated to employees?
Call me Dwain!
In response to Mr. Bert Salom - I'll do you one better. I'll write your drug policy for FREE...please see below:
NEW JACKSON COUNTY DRUG POLICY:
All Jackson County employees will be required to submit to random drug screenings. Employee's tested positive for use of illegal substances will have their employment with Jackson county terminated immediately!! Employees may be eligable for further assistance to aid in counsiling &/or rehabilitation. Eligability for assitance will be determined on a per case basis and is subject to the review of H.R. & the area manager.
Further more I would also have to question Mrs Thomas's logic in justifying this expenditure and want to look much closer at other areas she is in control of!
Case law on CDL and drug testing:
19 Solid Waste Dept. Mechanics, 156 F.3d 1068 (10th Cir. 1998): Affirming the lower court ruling, the Tenth Circuit ruled that the city policy requiring city employees to consent to a drug test before receiving a commercial driver's license violated employees' Fourth Amendment rights. The court decided that the testing scheme at issue, which did not rely on individualized suspicion, was unreasonable. Even though public safety and employee health were legitimate government interests, defendants had failed to demonstrate a special need for the particular testing scheme. That is, defendants failed to show that the program was well-designed to detect drug use among employees and that it had a deterrent effect. The court reasoned that the lack of reliance on individualized suspicion and the failure of the defendant to show that the testing program would be effective outweighed any legitimate government interest in public safety.
Jackson BOC needs to check the Georgia handbook for employers and check on random drug testing for government employees they have extra rights under Georgia state law...take a peek Mrs.Thomas or you might just get Jackson County tax payers in a law suit