County employees’ pay will soon increase, as well as the amount of start-up pay, following action taken by the Clinton County Fiscal Court last week. The session was brief, lasting approximately 10 minutes.
The court held a special called meeting on Wednesday afternoon, October 23, with all magistrates present and heard a request from Director of Emergency Services Lucas Abner pertaining to the pay rate issue.
Abner told the court that all county (employee) entities, with the exception of fee offices, “cannot retain help” due to lower wages compared to other areas.
The EMS Director requested the court consider an “across the board” $2 increase in pay, which would include a $2 per hour start-up salary.
For example, an EMT starts out currently at $9.50 per hour, which would increase to $11.50 an hour starting out, plus the amount of the $2 pay increase.
Abner said the primary reason applicants turned down the job offers locally was due to the lower pay rates compared to those offered for the same positions in other counties.
He also added some people had come and worked at the local EMS on a voluntary basis due to the shortage of local help.
After Abner addressed the court, 4th District Magistrate Gary Ferguson made a motion, seconded by 6th District Magistrate Mickey Riddle, to increase the starting pay for all employees by $2 per hour and give all county employees–with the exception of elected officials–a $2 per hour pay increase. The motion passed unanimously.
The new salary scale will become effective with the first November pay period and will include recently hired employees.
1st District Magistrate Tony Delk asked how many employees the county had on payroll and what the cost would be annually for the increase in wages.
County Treasurer Cindy Thrasher said there were currently 74 employees and estimated the annual base cost for the raises would be approximately $238,000. The total cost, counting benefit payments such as insurance and retirement, as well as estimated overtime, would come to around $250,000 to $275,000.
County Judge/Executive Ricky Craig said the added expense would come from the Occupational Tax Fund. He also noted that if more employees were hired, it could cut down the amount of overtime work.
The only other item of business on the agenda was the approval of four between meeting cash transfers, all from the Occupational Fund, which were approved on separate motions and votes.
Transfers totaled $57,000 and included a $10,000 transfer to the jail checking account; $30,000 transfer to the general fund checking account; $15,000 to the ambulance checking account; and, $2,000 to the DES checking account.
The next regular meting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for Thursday, November 21, at 5 p.m.