County Employees To Receive 8% Raise and 1 time bonus of 5%
Honorary Resolution recognizing Garland McCoig
Photo by Jeff Depew
Honorary Resolution recognizing Retirement of Ronnie Coleman
Photo by Jeff Depew
Honorary Resolution recognizing service on County Commission, Michael Phagan
Photo by Jeff Depew
Honorary Resolution recognizing service on County Commission, Rick Moore
Photo by Jeff Depew
Honorary Resolution recognizing service on County Commission, Todd Kesterson
Photo by Jeff Depew
Honorary Resolution recognizing service on County Commission, Edna Langley
Photo by Jeff Depew
Jefferson County Leadership Class members
Jefferson County employees will receive a retroactive raise of 8% and a one time of bonus of 5% to be paid on the November payroll. The County Commission has been in discussion since the beginning of the new fiscal year in July regarding the state of county employee compensation. In the Monday voting session, commissioners approved spending just north of $19,000 on a firm to do a market survey comparing Jefferson County total compensation ( including benefits) to other like counties in Tennessee.
The survey was requested by Commissioner Dockery following a plea in July from Jefferson County Sheriff Coffey to increase salaries for a handful of employees, such as guards, that work at the jail. According to the Sheriff, the situation had become emergency in nature as the jail was functioning on a skeletal staff and was in danger of losing additional employees to higher paying positions in surrounding counties. While the commission agreed to up the compensation as requested, it was noted that other positions in the Sheriff’s department and other county departments could be at risk of an employee exodus if compensation was not addressed. The Commission did answer the Sheriff’s request and those employees of the jail did receive a raise in July.
Late in the meeting the topic of employee raises was brought to the body in the form of a motion from Commissioner Snodgrass and 2nd by Commissioner R. Coleman to offer a 10% across the board raise for all employees ( including part time but excluding those positions that received a raise in July) that would be retroactive to July and would be included in the November pay check. That motion would be amended 6 times before Commissioners Huffaker/Reed brought an amendment that found favor with all but three commissioners. The motion as amended( which also included bring 2 employees of the jail that did not meet the 8% threshold of increase in July to that 8% mark) passed with Scarlett voting No and Commissioners J. Coleman, Seals and Douglas abstaining for cause.
Information from the Jefferson County Finance Office stated that the cost of an 8% raise would be $1.6 million dollars and the one time bonus would be around an additional $1 million dollars. The Jefferson County General Fund Balance is $5.3 million dollars and rollover for the past fiscal year was $2.6 million dollars. Several commissioners, as well as elected official Kevin Poe and Charles Tipton, plead the case for the increase coming immediately. Poe brought figures regarding total compensation from several like counties which showed Jefferson County lagging behind in employee pay. He stated that he had contacted his counterparts in the counties to obtain the information.
In other action, the County Commission approved several general housekeeping items as well as several budget amendments that came as a recommendation from the Budget Committee. Commissioner Scarlett made a motion to inform non profits that have not turned in their quarterly reports that they are required before they can receive funds from the county. He was 2nd by Commissioner Seals and the motion passed unanimously.
