The county will be adding the role of building inspector to its currently open permit clerk position.
The salary range for this position will now be $55,000 to $65,000. Anyone who is hired for this role will have to be a licensed building inspector.
County Administrator Bobby Crosby said adding building inspector duties to this role means the county will not have to rely as much on outside firms and can save the county between $12,000 and $14,000 a year.
It will also allow the county to offer building inspections on Fridays.
County Commission Chairman Tommy Langford said Columbia County does not require permits for projects that cost less than $5,000.
Langford asked if that could help ease the workload for the building office, but Gene Stockman, Gilchrist County Building Official, said that will lead to trouble for the county.
Stockman said it opens the door for unlicensed work and projects that do not meet code.
Langford said additions can lead to higher property values and more tax revenue, but Stockman said the county will not know about the additions if there is no permits.
Stockman said having an inspector in the office will help people using the building department as they will be able to give people better answers to their questions.
Kenrick Thomas moved to change the role to include building inspector, and Bill Martin seconded the motion. The motion passed with a 5-0 vote.