Commissioners one step closer to new budget
Polk County Commissioners came together twice last week for budget discussions and votes, and though a final draft of the document to provide a guideline for spending through next June will be up for vote in August, at least some of the hard decisions are out of the way.
One of those that will give employees something to celebrate come October is approval of a change in the pay scale for all, and commissioners went down a middle road in the vote during a July 17 session.
Commissioner Ray Carter explained on behalf of the commission that their decision to go with a pay scale above the minimum but not going too far for the county to be able to afford now and in the future was where the board landed when they voted last week.
He said that the county wants “people to want to work here based on who we are, but that being said we have an obligation to pay you what you’re worth as well.”
“What we approached today was a strategy that reached between the two plans, that came out in the plan and with that I think we structured a salary table with all of Polk County employees where we structured solid raises,” Carter said.
So when all is said and done, the county commission voted on a plan to add $1 million to the budget and go with a salary increase that gives employees a positive raise without breaking the county’s general fund balance for the coming year.
Commissioner Hal Floyd, who took part in the July 17 session by phone, said he continues “to be an advocate for competitive wages so that from a salary standpoint would be competitive to where we would retain people relative to those around us in the area.”
He also wanted to go with a slightly higher scale of compensation, and even with additional questions about increasing pay for entry-level police officers and other public safety officials, commissioners were ultimately satisfied with the outcome. The pay raises passed 4 yea votes to 1 against, and Floyd stated his only reason for voting against is because he wanted to go with a plan that better compensated law enforcement.
“The administration has put a lot of work into this, as far as our finance department and I want to commend (Ray) Slugger Carter for all the work he’s put into this we wanted this last year, and I know this has been a long wait,” Commissioner Scotty Tillery said.
Another 20 items were up for vote as well based on additional small requests from departments for help with certain areas. Included in those were additional money for cell phone costs for the Magistrate Court, a change in auto insurance costs for the whole of the county government, part time positions for the county probate clerk, superior court law clerk, and in the District Attorney’s office.
Some of the requests were left on the table without a motion to approve, while others were changed. For instance, Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats requested additional funds to hire four jailers, but only got approval for two in final negotiations with the commission.
The various requests were also opposed on each item consistently by Commissioner Chuck Thaxton, who voted against them in protest of additional money being spent by the county.
In previous sessions, commissioners have worked to find additional funds within the budget to cover pay raises and additional spending requests via transfers from other areas and in the years to come in the likelihood of an increase in the amount of property tax collected.
That will come after the Polk County Board of Assessors finishes up work required by the state to update the tax digest over the coming year with new assessments, work they have contracted out to do. Additional information about that program is coming.
County commissioners met three times this month alone for budget discussions, including a July 15 special session to approve the salary for Juvenile Court Judge Laura Lundy Wheale, and to dig into how funds are shifting from one place to another with Muriel Dulaney, the head of finance for the county.