County Manager Mike Dobbs argued in favor of a 1 percent raise during a budget meeting Tuesday, saying it would promote employee morale and retention. He said LaGrange was looking at its usual 5 percent raise and county employees have never gotten that much.
County employees received 2.2 percent last year, but that was largely because of high gas prices, said Commissioner Morris Jones, noting that prices have since come back down.
“I thank all of our employees. They do a terrific job,” Jones said, but he said they can do without a pay increase for 12 months since their benefits will stay the same and jobs are scarce in the current economy.
He said the county shouldn’t have any retention problems because “you may have 1,000 people applying for the same job. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Commissioner Ken Smith said Milliken & Co. is fast closing down and “people are graduating out the ying-yang who don’t have a job.”
“Are we to believe somebody would give up this benefit package and their career” over a 1 percent raise? he asked.
Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe said he doesn’t see how the county could justify an increase in salaries, including his and the other commissioners’. By state law, Wolfe earns $9,801.48 per year and the other four commissioners earn $8,611.46.
The board agreed to review the pay issue in six months if, as Wolfe said, “there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”
The county’s projected $2 million deficit in the upcoming budget was reduced it to $734, 000 in April. An additional $300,000 revenue for the general fund and $300,000 for reserves will come from savings on the county’s medical and dental plan.
County finance officer Stewart Mills said the tax digest is expected to grow 0.8 percent, significantly less than usual, because of a lack of new construction and declining property values. He projects the local-option sales tax will drop by $150,000, the county’s investment income by $87,000, and court fines are forfeitures by $592,000 or 33 percent.
In State Court, the number of traffic tickets has dropped by 1,000 since 2006 when budget cuts at the state Capitol forced a few prolific ticket-writing state troopers off the road in Troup County.
A state-mandated 5 percent add-on to court fines pays for the county’s three victim-witness advocates, but the fund has shrunk because of the reduced number of traffic tickets. Court administrator Sheryl Hicks said she will apply for a grant of $50,000 to $60,000 from President Obama’s stimulus package to help make up the shortage.
“The purpose of the grant is to keep people working,” Hicks said.
Work-release fees are expected to drop about $150,000 in the next fiscal year because a lot of inmates aren’t finding jobs. Landfill fees at the county’s construction and demolition dump in Mountville will drop an estimated $353,000.
“Folks are not demolishing and not building, ” said Commissioner Richard English. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
The county’s reserve fund averages $12 million, but “I don’t want to make it look like we have that to spend,” Commissioner Smith said.
The county uses reserves to operate the government without borrowing money while awaiting property tax receipts in November, and to pay for big-ticket items such as acquiring right of way for the South Loop highway.
The budget, which anticipates no change in the current 10.56-mill property tax rate, is scheduled to be adopted June 9.
Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@ lagrangenews. com or 706-884-7311, Ext. 235.
In all the previous years that we as Troup county empoyees have not received a raise, do you even once recall there being anything posted or even discussed for this matter on the issue of a raise? In case you are unable to read between the lines, this has to do soley with the ignorant remarks made by two specific individuals. You no, the two that are refered to in nearly every post thats been made, Spoon fed Morris and Steal from the poor Smith.
Get your facts straight. And if the blogs posted are such a bother to you, why do you continue to log on and voice your opinion on an issue that does not affect you in any way??? Hmm, or does it? Just because you may not be one of those to hold that "thankless position" doesnt mean your not tied in close to one that does. Seriously, if the issue is such a bother to you, STAY OFF and find some other facts to look into that may actualy hold your interest.
Most of you on this post sound like the arrogant ones. You come accross as if you are entitled to a pay increase, in a year when all governments and businesses accross the country can barely stay afloat. In my opnion, if any departments deserved an increase it would be the police and fire, but increases have to be accross the board.
After reading the article yet again it sounds more and more as if the commissioners were telling the realistic truth. You all seem be living in a fairy tale. MOST AMERICANS, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE TAKEN A PAY DECREASE AND YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT GETTING THE SAME THING AS LAST YEAR. At first I was sypathetic, but now from all these posts, it is somewhat hard. If I had been a commissioner I would have voted to cut the budget and tax rate even lower to give more relief to all the citizens, the taxpayers. Also, I have not talk with anyone that thought county employees deserved a raise and everyone I talked with thought thr commissioners did the right thing.
The reason I know what I am talking about is that I stay up on the facts and nothing you talk about could work. It is somewhat disturbing that employees of Troup County don't even know how the county opperates. SPLOST dollars can only be spent on specific SPLOST projects. That is were the money on buildings, etc comes from. Not the general budget. You can't take SPOLST dollars and put them into the budget.
You also talk about parks & rec; at least parks & rec fields, etc have generated revenue for local businesses when they have tournaments. They also keep kids out of trouble.
On the landfill, I checked on that today and Commissioner Jones did not own the land that was sold for the landfill.
Like I said before, if you don't like where you work find another job. But it is hard for me to understand how you can complain about getting the same thing you got last year when this country is in a recession.
Wolfe can not “justify a raise”? He talks of cutting the budget in each department? What’s being cut in your department? How can he justify the costly cell phones provided for each of them? I can about bet that the only business usage those phones see, is the calls made to remind each other to attend the county meetings. How can he justify the meetings held up on the third floor between all the commissioner’s, being provided a costly lunch each time a meeting is held on the tax payers dime. Or hiring an ASSISTANT county manager who is paid nearly triple the amount of what the average county employee is paid, who basically does nothing, and is provided with a brand new county car to drive himself around in, all gas fully furnished, on the tax payers dime, who so happened to come from the parks and rec. department. Oh look, now the entire Callaway stadium is being fully renovated at a very high cost for this very slow economy. I wonder how that happened? The expense account some where in the neighborhood of $43,000 provided to the so worthy commissioners. Where is it that they could possibly have to go and for what, to need a traveling expense of that nature? The $44,247.32 he so claims the commissioners, including himself, are paid in total (what’s documented anyway) to do absolutely nothing but show up at meeting on occasion.
To Citizen of Troup, It is obvious that you your self are one of those who this discussion directly involves. You commissioners have such a “thankless job”. Maybe that’s because of the o-so high and mighty attitude you carry around as though you’re so much better than those around you. The ignorant comments you so freely make and throw at the employee’s here to serve Troup County. The phony smiles you plaster on your faces as you force your selves to shake the hands of citizens as you pass, as rare as it is that you are even seen. Your closing remark in regard to being ecstatic to give a raise under different circumstances, your full of it. County employees have gone without raises for years, even when the economy was doing well, and if given a raise then, only to make up for the raised insurance premiums. Speaking of premiums, do you commissioners even have to pay your own, or do we tax payers cover that as well? As far as the comment made in reference to spoon fed Jones and steal from the poor Smith, how IDIOTIC can you be to make such ignorant and belittling comments about those who work for the county you so called serve? Election time is right around the corner….
Thank you Mr. Dobbs for attempting to get the county employees a raise!
In response to a few comments below.
pjudge-One thing Mr. Jones has done is never vote for a tax increase. On his intelligence, how do you know he is not smart? I think he has a college degree from UGA. Also, I remember when Mr. Jones first ran and I don't remember any negative campaigning and I think he had 2 other people to run against him. On his wife, very classy to bring a spouse in, but as far as I know she has never held or run for any political office. On not caring for anyone; anyone who runs for county commissioner cares about this county and the taxpayers beacuse as I see it, it is a thankless position, but more importantly who are you to judge.
grangerphil-On gas prices; yes they are slightly up, but not back to $4.50. On the 1000 people comment, I believe there would be more than that apply for jobs. Right now Troup County has one of the highest unemployment rates in the State, plenety of people want a job. If you take a working population of 25,000 at a 12% unemployment rate that would be about 3000 unemployed. So, 1000 people is not far off, not even taking into account the people applying from other counties.
JohnQPublic-On benefit packages, face it commissioners get insurance benefits, they always will as long as all other elected offices do. At least this commission board reevaluted insurance contracts which saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars. On city/county; you do realize that cities and counties fall under different laws and regulations. Cities can compete in business to offset taxes, counties can only provide services paid for through taxes & fees. On Mr. Wolfe, what has he lied about? On Jones not ever having a job, that is just a plain out lie from you. On Smith, when you are in business you will not stay in business unless you make a profit. He provided a needed service and charged what people would pay. That is how it works. America is still a free country and it is not like Mr. Smith forced people to do business with him. On the workout equipment, that was one of the best investments the county could have made because if the employees will use it there will be an unbelivable savings on employee medical insurance over time. On the flowers, from what I have read all of this work was paid for through SPLOST funds voted on by the public. All SPLOST projects are designated beforehand and money has to be spent as it was allocated.
employee38-I do understand that money is tight and not getting a raise hurts. Like I said before, most people took an overall pay decrease this year, including me, but do you really think calling Smith, Jones, & English idiots was appropriate. On morale, is bad morale really contributed to these three commissioners or just the economy as a whole? Also, I would imagine that each commissioner on average spends at least 10 hours a week on county matters. If they got paid $175/hour then we should be paying each of them around $91,000/year. On expense accounts, I think they are open to the public so Mr. Dobbs could more than likely show them to you.
In closing, if times were good I feel the commissioners would have been estatic to give pay increases, but we are dealing with situations we have not faced before. Like I said, I sympatize with no pay increase, but don't get mad, be gald you are able to keep what you had last year and be thankful you have a job. If you don't like where you work, quit or leave. It is your choice. These commissioners had to make a tough decision and as hard as it was, they made the right decision.