County expands Summer Youth Jobs Program after backlash over lottery selection

Erin Hill
Gadsden County News ServiceFollowing public outcry over a lottery-based selection process, the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners has voted unanimously to expand its Summer Youth Jobs Program, allowing all qualified student applicants who met the deadline to be hired.
At a special meeting on Wednesday, May 14, commissioners approved funding for 98 additional positions, increasing the number of youth workers from 150 to 248. This comes after concerns from parents, educators, and commissioners over the fairness and transparency of the original selection process, which used a digital lottery to randomly choose participants from a pool of eligible applicants.
“I don’t think any of us were aware that there would be a pool process,” said Commissioner Ronterious Green. “Had that been brought before the board, our parents could’ve gotten a better understanding.”
The current budget for the program stands at $442,000, but finance department staff said that—with reallocated funds, including from vacant positions—the county can now afford to pay $13 an hour to all applicants who met the program’s qualifications.
Interim County Attorney Louis Baptiste confirmed that the selection process complied with published guidelines. He clarified that the planned interviews were never meant to determine who would be hired, but rather to help match selected students with appropriate departments.
Still, some commissioners and parents argued that students deserved an opportunity to showcase their efforts through interviews.
Commissioner Shawn Wood supported keeping a lottery, but only if the process is clearly communicated in advance. He also called for more rigorous eligibility standards next year, saying, the language in the application was too loose, and 2.0 GPA is too low.
Wood said the process should be more competitive. He also said the county should raise the age limit and target high school juniors and seniors.
Commissioner Alonzetta Simpkins expressed concern about shifting funds without a clear financial roadmap. “It’s not a good look when we’re transferring funds from one line item to another,” she said. “We need to make sure we’re making fiscally sound decisions.”
Despite the challenges, the board agreed that providing more students with summer employment was worth the financial reallocation. The program is still set to begin June 10.