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The retired school superintendent from Bad Axe, and current Sanilac County administrator, has received an excellent evaluation and a one-year contract extension from the Board of Commissioners.

Last week's unanimous action extends Males' employment contract through July 16, 2010, a one-year roll-over of the agreement that was due to expire in 2009. Any raises in salary will be similar to other non-union appointed and elected county officials.

Males has run the daily operations of county government since 2003, when he took the job after ending his first career as a public school teacher and administrator.

The board's action followed a closed-door evaluation of Males at his request.

Males was evaluated in eight categories by each commissioner, on a rating scale of 1-5, with 1 being poor, 2 fair, 3 average, 4 very good and 5 outstanding.

He received a total rating average of 4.7425. Here's the breakdown by category: Job Knowledge, 4.8; Quality of Work, 4.71; Quantity of Work, 4.77; Employee Relations, 4.78; Community Relations, 4.89; Initiative, 4.82; Goal Setting Planning, 4.72; Board of Commissioners Relations, 4.45.

Commissioners were also asked to list the most pressing issues that require the administrator's immediate attention. They include: Budget, jail, alternative for the jail project, employee morale in all departments, priority list, and work with Sanilac Economic Alliance to strengthen the county's image for prospective investors.

In other action, the commission:

*Raised the monthly phone surcharge for 911 operations from 80 cents to $1.29, and applied it to all types of phones, not just land lines. The action is in accordance with recently passed state legislation, and will raise a total of $628,488 - eliminating the need for a general fund appropriation currently at $222,000.

"It was never intended that counties would have to support 911 operations from their general fund budgets," stated Males in a memo to the commission. "As resources became scarce many counties have had to supplement 911 operations with a general fund appropriation."

At $1.29, Sanilac's surcharge is still lower than neighboring Huron and Tuscola counties, which also levy a millage. There is also a statewide fee for 911 services of 25 cents, that will be reduced to 19 cents.

*Voted to change the position of equalization director from a contracted service to a county position. The change is required by the Internal Revenue Service, because the position is required by statute. Although Males assured the board that the current part-time director, Sandra Drews, would not ask for county-paid benefits, including health insurance and retirement, the motion was amended to read that the county would not be liable for benefits. Males was also directed to get a written opinion from the county's legal counsel that benefits would not have to be paid, including a buyout in lieu of health insurance, and retroactive retirement contributions.

Failure to change the job from independent contractor to county employee by Dec. 31 could have resulted in a monetary penalty by the IRS.

*Re-located the Emergency Operations Center from the MSU Extension Building to the Sandusky Fire Hall and the alternate site at the Croswell Fire Hall.

*Authorized a community block grant application to the state housing development authority for $225,000 to provide rehabilitation for seven single-family, low income owner-occupied houses for improvements such as roofs, insulation, windows, plumbing, heating and electrical repairs. A lien is placed on the property with the deferred loan repayment occurring when the property is sold, transferred or no longer occupied by the borrower. Funds will also be used for five emergency repairs, such as well replacement, and for one rental rehabilitation project.