Commissioners consider uniform drug testing policy for Tyler County employees
Tyler County Booster - May 2007

Tyler County Commissioners at their last two meeting have considered options for a new Tyler County Employee Drug Testing Policy. The new policy, if adopted, would expand the current one to include more county employees.
  The existing policy apples only to DOT drivers employed by the county who drive commercial vehicles and requires random drug testing. Most county employees, however, don’t drive commercial vehicles, so the proposed policy would delete all wording specific to commercial vehicles and CDL drivers, and change the wording to read employee/drivers. According to the proposed policy, an employee is now defined as “any person, excluding elected officials, who operate a motor vehicle that is insured for liability by the county.”
  This definition includes any county employ who uses their own car to attend to county during the work day, because the county’s liability insurance covers them when they run these errands. These employees would be subjected to random drug and alcohol testing. Other employees, who don’t use their cars for county business, would not be included in the testing.
  “Basically, anyone that our (liability) insurance covers, anyone, would be subject to the testing,” Commissioner Martin Nash explained. “Whether you are in a county vehicle or not, if you are out doing county business, the county is subject to a lawsuit if there is an accident.”
  But the testing, according to the proposed policy, could be extended to all employees if the department head so desired, including non-drivers at that department head’s discretion. He cannot pick and choose individual employees, though. All would have to be tested. Department heads also have the discretion in the policy to require testing if he suspects there is a problem with the employee.
  Tyler County Sheriff Jessie Wolf said that everyone in his department would be tested. “I just don’t think it’s right to test some of them and not test all of them, including myself,” he said.
  The proposed policy also expands on the specific substances being tested for in the random testing and extends testing of new employees to all full and part-time positions. Even someone hired for only one day would be required to be tested.
  Drivers with commercial (CDL) licenses are also required to pass a Breathalyzer test, which is required by law for that class license holder.
            After extensive discussion, commissioners tabled to policy update discussion for further consideration and will revisit it at a future court meeting.