On Tuesday, just like any other workday, Ross Township Secretary-Treasurer Danielle Romano hurried around the office to answer phone calls, finish paperwork, reply to emails and speak to the occasional visitor at the office window.

“It’s never ending. There is so much to do always. I have been on my own for a long time,” said Romano.

Part-time secretary Kim Bare resigned in January, leaving a vacancy the supervisors are still trying to fill. Bare worked 16 hours per week.

Romano was hired full-time in April 2020 and has 20-plus years of banking experience. She was in management when she left and came to Ross.

The workload has increased as the township grows and projects such as digitalization of all township documents move closer to fruition.

Early in the pandemic, when neighboring townships allowed their staff to work from home, Romano, the tax collector Sharon Steen, and road crew worked in their respective offices inside the township building. The building was closed to the public and meetings were via telephone conferencing until June 2020.

Romano has advertised the vacancy in the local newspaper and on the job website, Zip Recruiter. The ad states that the part-time township secretary will assist her and serve as the planning commission secretary. It pays $15 per hour and is for 16 hours per week.

During Monday’s supervisors meeting, Planning Commission Chairman Roger Christman asked when a part-time planning commission secretary would be hired.

He said they have been without one for about two years. This also means there is a vacancy on the agricultural committee.

Sharon Steen had been the planning commission secretary and agricultural secretary, as well as assisting Doris Price, Romano’s predecessor who retired in 2019.

Price and Steen had each other to help conduct the township day-to-day tasks. Steen also became the township tax collector, a position she held until her death in November 2021.

Steen did a good job at those tasks, Christman said.

“I would hire one person to do all three jobs. First as the planning commission secretary, second duty as the agricultural committee secretary and thirdly to assist the full-time secretary,” Christman said.

Supervisors agreed on Monday that they need to hire someone immediately to help Romano. They suggested she talk to Christman about the wording of her job ad so they can find the ideal candidate.

Romano has not taken vacation time. She was out sick with COVID-19 last fall, and Bare filled in for her those two weeks.

“I feel like I go above and beyond,” Romano said.

During the meeting, Supervisor Randy Detrick and Chairman James Zahoroiko voted in favor of doing further research on software that will allow Romano to access her work computer files from her home computer and compare that with prices of a laptop.

They want her to be able to work from home when the occasional need arises. Shay voted against the work-from-home idea.

A difference of opinion also occurred when discussion turned to if payroll checks need three signatures, which has been the practice so far, or whether to change to two signatures.

There was a delay in paychecks when Romano was out with COVID and former Supervisor Tina Drake was on vacation.

“Let’s make it simple. It is still secure with two signatures,” said Detrick, as he motioned for the change.

Zahoroiko and Detrick voted in favor, while Shay voted against it.

“Three signatures are a security thing,” Shay said.

For more information about this job or to apply, contact the township office at 570-992-4990.