Environmental Director’s Salary Still a Sticking Point
The Jefferson County Commission met for their first regular voting meeting for the fiscal year 2015/2016 on Monday evening, July 20, 2015 in the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse. Nineteen Commissioners were in attendance for the July session ( Baxley, Tabor absent). Commission Chairman Carmichael called the meeting to order and with a motion from Commissioner Scarlett and 2nd from Commissioner Solomon the minutes were approved. Though there had been some debate prior to the call to order concerning the removal of the Jefferson County Mayor from the agenda, Chairman Carmichael acknowledged the Mayor and provided time to address the Commission with any business. Mayor Palmieri brought information that was requested by Commissioners regarding the Environmental Office Director’s salary and fee in comparison to other surrounding counties that was held for presentation until the appropriate agenda item.
Despite a thin agenda that included only a handful of items requiring vote, the meeting pace stalled when the item for discussion and action related to environmental fees, one of only four items of new business, was brought before the Commission. At the heart of the discussion was the restoration of $16,887 that was cut from the Environmental Director’s salary during the recent budget season. Though according to information provided by the Mayor and Environmental Director indicating that fees in Jefferson County are on the low end of comparable to surrounding counties and the Director’s salary for Jefferson County, prior to cuts, was the lowest of the surrounding counties, Mayor Palmieri stated that he was not supportive of raising fees to cover the cut to the Director’s salary. Contending, instead, that an increase in fees could be detrimental to prospective builders and residents and an unexpected roll over of funds into fund balance, estimated by Jefferson County Finance Director Potts to be in the several hundreds of thousands of dollars range, could be tapped for the $16,887 to restore the Director’s salary. Palmieri cited the adequate facilities tax as being negatively impacting to building in Jefferson County and noted it as a defining factor in his stance on raising the environmental fee.
It was noted in discussion that a $100 increase in fee would off set restoration of the Director’s fee. Several Commissioners waded in on the fee issue and the discussion traveled to the adequate facilities tax, as well. Commissioner Dockery spoke in favor of fair and comparable wages but was not in favor of an additional cost to residents, stating that he would prefer to go to fund balance for the funds. Commissioner Scarlett stated that there has been inconsistent information regarding the rate of recovery in local building. Questions also arose regarding the means and collections of the adequate facilities tax. Commissioner Beeler stated that revisiting decisions made during the recent budget debate would likely bring requests from other areas that were cut.
Commissioner Tucker made a Motion to reinstate the Director’s salary cut of $16,887 to be funded from fund balance and leaving environmental fee at the current rate. He was 2nd by Commissioner Turner. Commissioner McGraw requested that Tucker explain his reasoning in the making the motion, stating that it was contrary to action that was taken during the budget process. Commissioner Tucker stated that it was his opinion that the Commission had stepped into acting as administrators by denoting line item cuts, as was the case with the Director’s salary, and should have left it to the Department to make the needed cuts. Commissioner Turner concurred with Commissioner Tucker, stating that he was not in favor of the process of cutting line items during the budget debate and was also supportive of fair and comparable wages. However, Turner stated that he would not support increasing fees with a healthy fund balance roll over.
Commissioner Huffaker offered an amendment to the motion to increase environmental fees $100 to be comparable to surrounding counties and use that increase to cover the $16,887 in Director’s salary. She was 2nd by Commissioner McGraw and the Amendment Failed 15-4. The original Motion also Failed 11-8 with Commissioners Kesterson, Douglas, Musick, McGraw, Solomon, Bales, Scarlett, Carmichael, D. Seal, Beeler and Sheets voting NO.
In other action, the Commission Approved one County Budget Amendment with no fund balance impact that came as a recommendation from the Budget Committee and Surplussing of out of date law books.
The Commission unanimously Approved the Personnel Committee’s recommendation of Tim Williams for the position of Veterans Service Officer. They also approved notaries and bonds with a Motion from Tucker and 2nd from Musick. Once citizen appeared before the Commission to request relief for the Senior Citizen Center’s communal van.
