HERMANN — Having received a favorable opinion from legal counsel, the Gasconade County Commission is poised to adopt a county government policy requiring all employees and vendors be in “good standing” regarding payment of county taxes as a condition of employment and being able to bid on county projects.

As noted in the minutes of the Sept. 25 session of the Commission, the administrative panel could make that requirement part of the county’s policies beginning the first of next year.

Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, R-Hermann, raised the issued several weeks ago, noting that while it’s not a problem now, the county’s employees and vendors looking to do business with the county should be held to the same standard as regular citizens: Pay your county taxes by the due date or face a penalty. In the case of county employees, that penalty could be loss of employment with the county. For vendors, it could mean not being eligible to bid on a variety of county projects and purchases throughout the year.

Outside counsel Ivan Schraeder was consulted on the legitimacy of such a requirement. His opinion is that the Commission indeed could adopt such a position. The “good-standing” provision would be in place not just for county employees who live in this county, but for county workers who live in other counties, as well.

What this means, as noted by County Clerk Lesa Lietzow when it first discussed, is that someone will need to be responsible for verifying the employees’ and vendors’ compliance with the tax-payment deadline in this county and the home counties of non-resident employees and vendors.