It took a year, but the lawsuit filed last August by four county officials versus Warren County Executive John Pelham has been settled.
The lawsuit filed by Trustee Darlene Bryant, Clerk and Master Myra Mara, Circuit Court Clerk Bernie Morris, and County Court Clerk Lesa Scott was seeking to increase the pay of county employees in four departments.
The lawsuit came after several county employees were hired into the Financial Management Department earning $28,500 a year. This created controversy because the county has several longtime office employees who earn around $20,000.
Mara had a four-year employee who was making $18,313.50 per year.
The four offices in question filed letters of agreement stating their initial salary requests to Pelham’s office. None of the offices could come to an agreement on salaries, even though Pelham had offered a 5 percent increase to each office’s lowest paid staff members. All county employees were also promised a $500 increase in pay for the next fiscal year.
The elected officials tried to negotiate pay raises for their employees with County Executive John Pelham, but those negotiations broke down resulting in the lawsuit.
Pelham said he and the city officials came to an agreement concerning their 2012-13 salary requests. The officials then had to concur on 2013-14 employee salaries as the calendar year had rolled around to August, the month Letters of Agreement are to be filed for the upcoming fiscal year.
“I think we all had an interest in trying to get this resolved. It went on longer than any of us thought it would. I am not sure what expenses they had on their end, but I think they were minimal. So, to be able to do this and not have to incur high expenses was a desire by myself and the fee offices alike,” Pelham said. “Through this process everyone had a very good spirit. We sat and talked individually. I am very thankful we all sat down with the right spirit and tried to work out an agreement here and not go farther with it.”
Pelham said all the offices requested the salary increase approved by the county commission for county employees for fiscal year 2013-14. The new budget calls for a $1,000 increase for all full-time employees and a $500 increase for all part-time employees.
Bryant settled for the amount originally requested on her letter of agreement.
Bryant said, “I hate that we had to go through all that. We are a constitutional office. We have the authority to hire who we want and the discretion to pay our employees based on their job performance. We should also be able to give raises according to job performance.”
Bryant was referring to Tennessee Code Annotated 8-20-101, which states clerks and masters, county trustees, county clerks, and clerks of circuit, criminal, and special courts may set the amount of deputies necessary to run their offices and may also set the salary each should be paid.
Mara settled for an amount above what she originally requested. “I’m pleased with the turnout and my employees are happy,” said Mara.
Morris said, “We both gave a little and we settled. I’m happy.”
Many county employees still agree a pay scale across the board would be the most fair way to pay all employees.
One county employee said fee offices setting their own pay scales is not fair to other county employees. The person, who did not want to be named, said if two people start work at the same time, one in a fee office and one in a non-fee office, the person in the fee office will average a 20 percent pay increase within five years ($5,600 for someone making $28,000) whereas a non-fee employee might receive an average increase of $500 per year ($2,500 in five years).

Bryant received for 2013-14:
•$40,780 for 1st deputy
•$30,800 for 2nd deputy
•$29,500 for 3rd deputy
•$24,000 for 4th deputy, part-time
•$21,000 for 5th deputy, part-time
•$5,000 for 6th deputy, part-time

Mara’s request:
•$32,035.16 for first deputy
•$23,600 for second deputy
•$19,604 for third deputy, part-time
•$1,022.82 for fourth deputy, part-time/ seasonal

Morris received for 2013-14:
•$51,312.86 for 1st deputy clerk
•$48,36.36 for 2nd deputy clerk
•$37,140.24 for 3rd deputy clerk
•$30,549.21 for 4th deputy clerk
•$28,500 for 5th deputy clerk
•$28,000 for 6th deputy clerk
•$27,500 for 7th deputy clerk
•$27,000 for 8th deputy clerk
•$26,000 for 9th deputy clerk
•$20,000 for 10th deputy clerk, part-time
•$18,000 for 11th deputy clerk, part-time (open position)
•$10,000 for 12th deputy clerk, part-time

Scott received for 2013-14:
•$35,447 for deputy clerk 1
•$34,805.28 for chief deputy clerk
•$33,030.48 for deputy clerk 2
•$33,030,48 for deputy clerk 3
•$33,030.48 for deputy clerk 4
•$28,636.75 for deputy clerk 5
• $25,000 for deputy clerk 6