From the Budget Meeting on 10 January 2013

1. Approved a $7,.900.00 pay increase to $52,000.00 a year for the Emergency Management Director. See next threat topic for more details.

2. Approved expenditure of $86,160.00 to purchase a generator for the Emergency Management Department.

3. Turned down a request from Judge Damron for a full time secretary.

4. Approved Mrs Greene's request to spend $100,000.00 of her funds for a completely new computer/software system for the Circuit Court Office. This system will also require an annual expense of $16,000.00 for maintenance agreements which is a reduction of about $8,000.00 from the current agreement.

5. It was reported that the weight station has brought into the general fund of the county approximately $10,000.00 a month average since it opened.

6. Approval was given to spend $89,000.00 to build a new road extension at Tunnel Hill with work scheduled to begin in the spring with better weather. Several property owners were in attendance who have committed to sell the right of way for the same amounts they originally paid for the property, this was considered to be practically a gift and made the project possible.

7. Approval was given to seek an amendment that would change the wording of a private act to allow Motel/Hotel taxes to be used for all county buildings instead of just the courthouse and jail.

8. Much time was spent on an explanation of benefits to be gained from paying off an eight million dollar bond in February. After this is paid there will be approximately five million left from what was once considered the "Hospital Money". The remainder is now a part of the genera fund and considered as the fund balance.

9. The matter of what happened to the million dollars that was missing from the budget was explained. It was explained that it wasn't a million dollars it was only $975,000.00 and after several ambiguous responses to why the money was not in the budget to begin with, it was finally stated "it was an error"

One thing I'll add about this meeting. I have attended probably more meetings that most citizens and even commissioners and this was the most professional, well run meeting I have attended. Commissioner Jackson as chair, allowed questions and uninterrupted discussion of issues. Mrs Moore and her assistant provided answers to every question without having to check with the County Executive, their knowledge and openness was not only refreshing it was plain impressive. While I certainly don't agree with all that was done, I do  congratulate everyone involved with this meeting.      

When You Get Caught With Your Hand In The Cookie Jar What Do You Do?

The question is when you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar what do you do? Well, in Giles County it seems you just change the name of the jar from cookie jar to mayonnaise jar and nobody cares.

When citizens began questioning the huge amounts of overtime pay being given to the Emergency Management Director, as being inappropriate for a salaried department supervisor/head, something had to be done especially as the outrage grew and was highlighted in the last audit.

In the budget meeting on 10 Jan 2013 something was done by orders of the County Executive. According to Mrs Vanzant the whole problem existed because Mr. Whitt had never "officially" been titled as the head of a department. Understand, Mr. Whitt has little if anything to do with what he's identified as and I certainly do not fault him with taking money that is legally offered to him. The problem is that the County Executive has recognized Mr. Whitt on numerous occasions as head of the department, including allowing him to speak at Commissioner meetings without a suspension of the rules, in keeping with the rule of allowing elected department heads to speak.

Mr Whitt isn't elected, he is appointed by Mrs Vanzant and supervised, before yesterdays meeting and is supervised by her now. She sets his salary, since the commission is unwilling to buck her for what ever the reasons So yesterday Mr Witt was officially named a department head and given a $7,900.00 pay raise to $52,000.00 a year. Not bad for a position that just a few years ago was a volunteer position without pay or any assistants.

The question I must ask is what difference does it make what you call a person if you give them a raise equal to their overtime then say he can't get overtime anymore? Will this make a difference in his retirement that the county will have to contribute to for the rest of his life? Are other county employees being treated fairly when one gets such a large raise and they get nothing?  Cookie jar or Mayonnaise jar?
         

School Safety Issues

On 15 January at 11:30 in the Courthouse Annex the County Legislative Committee on Law Enforcement will meet to discuss school safety. This meeting is advertised as an opportunity for the community to discuss the various needs and concerns for increased school safety.

Proposals that have been discussed at different levels across the county and the nation include such things as placing armed guards at each school; creating new SRO positions for each school; allowing teachers to be trained and allowed to go armed during school; increased electronic surveillance; securing all exits directly from a classroom to the outside; etc, etc.

What are some of your concerns and ideas for this discussion?

Head Custodian To Retire

The news that Roger Strickland will retire in February has caused at least one commissioner to start salivating at the idea of moving out of the Financial Management Office and into Mr. Strickland's "office".
   
Apparently the job qualifications are being upgraded for any replacement.

I have been bombarded with questions of ,"how can Mr. Strickland retire when he is only 64 unless he is another county employee benefiting from the very generous disability system". I don't know the answer, I don't know how old he is or what his health is. I do know that he apparently feels healthy and able enough to make physical threats against people who question his personal use of county property.

Hope your retirement is all you hope it will be.