After almost four years of a freeze, the McLeod County Board voted Tuesday to once again allow the creation of new positions.

Since December 2008, county commissioners have adhered to the hiring freeze as a cost-control measure. They established a staffing committee to review requests to refill vacant positions.

In October, staffing committee member and County Commissioner Paul Wright recommended lifting the freeze.

Commissioner Bev Wangerin said she was voting to lift the freeze because there would still be measures in place – namely the board’s staffing and budget committees – to screen requests. The County Board would still approve new hires. No new positions have been budgeted in 2013, but Wangerin said lifting the freeze will aid departments seeking to restructure themselves.

The measure passed unanimously.