Montgomery County taxpayers picked up the tab for county employees to take a three-day ice climbing class, Harley-Davidson-sponsored motorcycle classes for new riders, and an introduction to poetry course as part of the county’s tuition assistance program.
The county also approved courses or seminars such as “The wise heart and the mindful brain,” “Olympic lifting certification” and “The magic of mindful movement,” for county employees to attend.
In total, the county approved more than 1,100 courses for 1,732 employees during the last two fiscal years for a total cost of $1.7 million, county records show.
Employees can spend up to $1,730 a year on earning a degree related to the employee’s job or desired job with the county. Employees also can spend the money on training that that won’t lead to a degree but “improves or maintains the skills required in the employee’s current job,” according to Joseph Adler, director of human resources.
The county rejected 354 applications during the last two fiscal years, including one request by a county police officer to take a cosmetology class at “Empire Beauty School” and one request by a county employee to attend a “hoof trimming seminar.”
The tuition assistance program has come under fire in recent weeks after Sheriff Raymond Kight said a training company might have misused money from the program to offer guns to county public safety employees at steep discounts.
The county attorney’s office is investigating and has hired an outside consultant to help, the inspector general’s office is conducting its own investigation, and the County Council has scheduled hearings on the tuition assistance program next week.
Kight has cut off requests by his deputies to attend outside training courses, saying the county already offers similar training free of charge.
In response to questions from Andrews, Adler said all applications for tuition assistance are “reviewed individually,” but employees aren’t required to tell their supervisor or the office of human resources about the benefit of the course after it is completed.
