Maplesville Town Hall will receive some summer help to combat a busy schedule in the upcoming months due to it being an election year.

According to Maplesville Town Clerk Dawn Smitherman, the staff that includes her and Cindy Brown will be busy and is in need of assistance to handle the work load, especially if either one is out of the office.

When the Town Council agreed to hire an extra hand during the May 9 meeting, it was an obvious choice for Smitherman.

JoAnn Ratliff, 61, was hired as a part-time employee with the town on a temporary basis. She will work 24 hours per week for $9 an hour, and began effective May 19.

Ratliff just finished her first year working at the cafeteria at Jemison High School after transitioning from the Vestavia Hills school system to Chilton County.

The move followed her father’s passing as she came back to the Lawley area of Chilton County–a place that she had called home growing up.

“It’s a small town, so it’s very relaxed,” Ratliff said. “I just enjoy the environment. Everything is just so convenient.”

Not long after she got back home, she began volunteering for an hour at a time, and offered a variety of help, such as sorting files and assisting the library.

“She’s already been helping in a big way,” Smitherman said. “You know that she truly cares about the town, or else she wouldn’t have been volunteering this whole time.”

Ratliff’s availability increased with school out for the summer, and the Council will re-evaluate her status as another school year approaches in August.

In the meantime, Ratliff said she feels at home helping the town of Maplesville any way that she can.

“You eventually come full circle, but sometimes it just takes a little longer,” Ratliff said.