9-1-1 Board Approves Spending

"9-1-1 Board Approves Spending" was the headlines to an article found on page A8 of the Pulaski Citizen dated 22 June 2010.

What the article reports is that the Board, made up of Fire Chief Jimmy Thompson, Sheriff Kyle Helton, Postmaster Debbie Underwood, Ambulance Director Roy Griggs, Pulaski Mayor Dan Speer, County Executive Janet Vanzant, Pulaski Police Chief John Dickey, Minor Hill Mayor Tracy Wilburn and Emergency Management Director Barry Witt, voted to give a 3% pay increase to employees. To his credit Mr Witt abstained from voting because of a conflict of interest.

This is a slap in the face to every department that has been asked to "cut back" their spending; every citizen who has to cut back on their personal spending; every commissioner who is having to tell other county employees there is no money for a raise; every county employee who has to watch their spending power decrease with no raise in sight; every citizen who is having to pay more and more for less and less.

To add insult to injury an additional $10,000 was approved in an amendment because of an "oversight" by management.

Allen Barrett