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COUNTY MANAGER’S
CONTRACT EXTENDED WITH 7.79% RAISE
At
the September BOC meeting it seems the current BOC majority was trying to tie
the hands of the new board members that will take office in January.
After
much discussion, the board approved extending Greg Williams’ contract until
October 31, 2009—well into the next BOC’s first year in office. This contract also provides for a 7.79%
increase, raising
the County Manager’s salary to $86,320.
The real stickler
is that if the next Board decides to hire someone else, Mr. Williams will
receive SIX MONTHS severance.
The
vote ended with Comm. Yarbrough and Comm. Bernard voting for and Comm. Pennamon
against with Comm. Hill abstaining—he first voted no and then changed to
abstain. With this abstension, Comm.
Hill allowed the raise and the extension of the contract to proceed.
See the actual contract here.
Discussion
during the meeting left the impression that the County Manager
wrote this contract extension himself.
What
are the Commissioners thinking? The
entire economy is falling apart and there is a stock market meltdown; the State
has a $1.6 Billion budget shortfall and will not send Jasper County
at least $400,000 in property tax exemptions; sales tax receipts are down;
SPLOST receipts are down; and the county has adopted a spending freeze. The Schools will also come up short with the
State cut backs—estimates of at least $500,000 won’t be far off the mark.
The
health insurance bill for county employees is around $805,000 a year and there
has just been another 7% increase (an additional $56,000-$60,000). That’s 2 mils of your taxes.
How is a 7.79% pay raise
justified for any employee? Some questions
citizen should have expected the Commissioners to ask about the County Manager
–
- What are his specific
accomplishments over the past 3 years?
- What has he done to get a
raise?
- Has he cut spending?
- Has he improved procedures to save tax
money?
- Has he written applications for any
grants?
- Has he promoted the county to entice
any new business?
- Has he given the Commissioner’s good
advice?
TWG
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Mission
Statement:
** To keep the taxpayers of Jasper County, Georgia
informed as to where and how their tax dollars are
being spent.
** To keep the taxpayers abreast of local policies
and laws being discussed and enacted.
** We advocate more open government, less government
spending, and lower property taxes.
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