The county is looking to give employees who did not receive a raise in 2021-2022 $1,000 this year to make up for it.
At the county Budget and Finance Committee meeting last week, Commissioner Cole Taylor made a motion to amend his previous motion to allow those who did not receive raises in the 2021-2022 to receive $1,000 this year. The employees did not receive raises because they had already received a separate raise earlier the same year. This year, the county is not excluding those who have already received raises and Taylor wanted to make things fair.
“This committee has really focused hard on trying to be as fair as we can possibly be across the board. We’ve had a few directors that have given raises throughout the year and we have asked them not to. We had it happen a couple years ago and we excluded those who got raises and they did not get the raise at the end of the year. I’ve learned you are not going to make everybody happy. We try our best to figure out what is the most fair way to be across the board,” said Taylor.
He explained to the directors present that he understands the value of their employees, but it is his job to try and keep things fair.
“I respect all directors who are here tonight and those who aren’t because you fight hard for your employees and I understand that. Employees are important, there is no doubt about it. I would like to make an amendment to my motion I made on the $2,000 raise and $1,000 bonus per employee. I make a motion to give the employees who are still employed the $1,000 raise they did not receive in 2021-2022,” said Taylor.
Commissioner Carl Bouldin seconded the motion. Before voting, Taylor requested that the directors do not give raises out during the year.
“We are all here for the same thing and that is the betterment of Warren County. I know you have to have good employees to keep things going,” said Taylor. “I ask you directors, elected and not elected, to please not give those raises through the middle of the year. Please. If you can. It just makes it tough during times like this.”
Taylor said he was not happy to go back on his motion.
“I am backpedaling a little bit and I am not too crazy about it, to tell you the truth. I want us to be as fair as we can and either way we are not going to make people happy, but if this right here doesn’t make people happy, I don’t know what is going to,” said Taylor.
Bouldin asked if there was a record of all the employees who did not receive the raise that year and Finance Department director Justin Cotten said he could find the list.
The committee unanimously approved the motion. At the previous Budget and Finance meeting, the committee voted to give a $2,000 raise across the board, and add an additional $1,000 bonus for each employee that will be given out at the discretion of the director with EMS to get a $3,400 raise and $1,000 bonus to use at the director’s discretion. Part time will get half of that and the sheriff’s department will go to 25-55 and a $1,000 bonus to use at its discretion.
