Clinton County Fiscal Court held a special meeting last Wednesday evening, June 24, and although taking no official action, discussed at length county employees’ salaries and ways to increase those rates of pay. Five of six court members were present along with several county employees, primarily from the ambulance service and a few from the Clinton County Jail.

The special meeting had been called at the behest of some magistrates who asked for the meeting during the court’s previous regular meeting when the budget was adopted and salaries were discussed. Some magistrates felt the EMS employees needed and deserved raises, just as some other positions that were included in the 2015-16 fiscal year budget.

The new budget, which took effect July 1, already included a small two percent cost of living increase and will remain intact even if the court can come up with funds for raises for all county employees across the board.

County Judge Executive Richard Armstrong opened the floor for comments from magistrates, as well as those in the audience, to voice opinions.

Magistrate Ricky Craig opened the approximate one-hour and 15-minute discussion, saying he felt the ambulance service personnel needed pay increases. He said they go to school, take training and called their jobs very important, adding “I don’t know what we’d do without them.”

Craig originally suggested an increase of .75 cents per hour for paramedics, .50 cents for EMTs and a quarter per hour for dispatchers, noting as well that the length of service employees had put in also was an important consideration and said the EMS was often overlooked.

Magistrate Terry Buster concurred with Craig’s assessment, saying the degree of knowledge that EMTs and paramedics have on board an ambulance is almost equal to that of a registered nurse, saying they save lives.

A short discussion then ensued about the most recent two percent cost of living increase and that should continue on an annual basis.

Director of Emergency Services Lonnie Scott told the court the EMS had a shortage of trained personnel, and said the entry level (of pay) needed to be raised to help hire and sustain experienced, qualified employees, or they would go someplace else where better pay was offered. “We’ve got to be competitive in hiring,” he said.

Currently EMTs make $9.50 per hour, paramedics $12.50 and dispatchers at $8.50, much lower than area counties and even with a raise, the local services would still be somewhat playing catch-up.

Judge Armstrong told those on hand that for the past 18 years, the county had ended up in deficits at the end of the month. He said everyone was in agreement they wanted to see the ambulance service where it should be and said once the Occupational License Fee Tax was increased, it “opened doors,” but added, “until we see the proof in the pudding, we’re going on assumptions.”

The judge went on to say the county started $175,000 in the hole and had to borrow $75,000 from the road department (which by law has to be repaid by the end of the fiscal year.) “It’s not like we’ve got a pot of money and just holding it,” he added.

Armstrong also went on to say that a $8.50 per hour salary was “ridiculous” and the county hopes to continue to get more money in with the occupational tax revenue.

Then the judge advocated for the local ambulance service to become a taxing district to be self-sustaining. He said 30 smaller counties in Kentucky have an ambulance taxing district, which ranges anywhere from four to 10 percent. He further estimated that if Clinton County’s EMS had it’s own ambulance taxing district, it could generate up to $250,000 annually.

He continued by explaining that the county would have no problems taking the raises out of the occupational tax revenues if it was fundable, saying since the first of the year there have been 60 new businesses that have started paying the OT license fees.

Kevin Alexander, a local pastor and former ambulance service employee, who recently resigned because of not making enough money, then addressed the court.

He said he had been dealing with people who had said the EMS and jail were “breaking the county,” adding it was good to have something positive spoken and discussed about the ambulance service. He also said he favored the ambulance service becoming a taxing district to raise revenue to sustain it. “It’s not a money making venture, it’s a life-saving venture,” he said.

Alexander said there were three paramedics living in the county but not working here. “I have to put food on the table and take care of my family, so I took another career path,” he told the court.

He called the ambulance service situation a serious one and they needed to catch up (in pay scale) or they soon wouldn’t be able to get experienced people to work.

Richard Puqua, an employee at the jail, then spoke and made several comments to the court.

He said there had been improvements made at the jail and said if the jailer could give his employees a raise he would. He continued that most jail employees are only making $8.50 an hour, but noted they also had to take training and learn medical procedures such as CPR.

He also continued by sharing about the adversities to the position of a deputy jailer, saying they were cussed, spit on and threatened in their job. He said because of the rate of pay he receives, he has to see his family do without, but was also in the Army and had learned to “adapt and overcome.” He also said he felt ambulance service personnel also deserved raises as well.

“I like working at the jail or I wouldn’t be there,” he said, adding, “we (employees) aren’t numbers on paper…we’re leaving it up to you to help.” He also said that if the jail were closed, it would cost the county twice as much in expenses to house inmates elsewhere.

Administrative Assistant Penny Jo Stearns then gave magistrates a read-out of a proposal for possible increases for county employees.

The proposal was for a .75 cents per hour hike for those employed two years or longer and .50 cents for those working under two years, keeping the two percent cost-of-living adjustment already included in the budget. Salaried employees, such as department heads, office staff, 911 Coordinator, County Treasurer, Solid Waste Coordinator, etc were exempt from the proposed raises as their salary is already set.

The total cost, including the increased taxes and withholdings, was estimated to cost around $125,000.

Clifton Ball, an ambulance service paramedic, said the Occupational Tax was pushed (originally) as an ambulance tax when first adopted in the 1990s and if the county tried to adopt an ambulance taxing district now, it would give the ambulance service “a black eye” regardless.

Judge Armstrong noted, however, the ambulance tax–should the ambulance service become a taxing district–would target everyone and could be put on about anything, but generally on property tax bills. “Don’t be discouraged,” he told the EMS employees, “we’ve got to come up with a way to get you there.”

Prior to discussion ending, due to the lack of employees on call, Scott discussed the amount of overtime that current employees are having to put in, which means an even greater strain on the budget.

Scott said in 2003, the service had 37 employees, now they have 24, and “twice as many runs.” He added, however, that this situation was a nationwide problem with ambulance services across the country.

Scott was another of those at the meeting that agreed that making the service a taxing district may solve most, if not all, of the problems, but added if such were passed, it would take about a year to implement.

If overtime is to be cut back, it would save considerable money, but would also call for the need for additional full or part-time employees to cover the time. Currently it is estimated the overtime pay amounts to about $50,000 a year.

When a question was raised about the road department employees receiving raises, Armstrong said that was done under the previous administration.

Magistrate Craig said the county should consider all options but also said they should look at possible “cuts” in the budget as well to come up with more funding.

Judge Armstrong said “we have got to come up with the money before we make the promise (for raises).”

The judge also advocated the county begin taking the state allotted .4 percent increase on property taxes annually, which over time could generate more county property tax revenue. He said the real estate tax rate in Kentucky, on average is 30 percent and only six percent in Clinton County. “We should take the four percent the state allows on the one percent each year,” he said.

Following the discussion, the court decided to work between now and its next meeting and try and come up with some viable way to grant across the board pay increases to hourly county workers and possibly take official action at its upcoming regular meeting, scheduled for Thursday, July 16 at 5 p.m. The meting is open to the public.