Sebastian County Quorum Court rejects pay raise proposals

story by Aric Mitchell
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Sebastian County Judge David Hudson’s recommendations for a salary increase to fill the vacant comptroller and human resource director positions was stifled at Tuesday’s meeting of the Sebastian County Quorum Court.

Hudson proposed the positions be offered externally at the pay of $60,000 per year, up from the maximums of $44,105 (comptroller) and $45,000 (HR director).

“It has been my experience in the past that we do not pay our management at a competitive rate of pay. I’ve had several qualified candidates turn me down because the pay was too low,” Hudson said. “In keeping with that precedent, we recently offered one of the positions to an internal staff member at the $45,000, and the position was turned down for the very same reason. I can recruit externally at the $45,000, but I am not encouraged by it.”

Despite Hudson’s objections, court member Linda Murry voiced her concerns about filling the recently vacated comptroller position at the escalated rate of pay.

“It’s taken Sue (Reed) 14 years to get to the rate of salary she had. I see a problem with starting someone brand new at a salary that she worked so hard for, much less one that is 30 percent higher,” Murry said.

Vote support was with Murry as the measure, which required a two-thirds majority to pass, failed with only 6 affirmatives out of 13 votes.

Court member Leo Faulkner dissented.

“A good hand doesn’t have to take our wages. I don’t care how bad the economy is. Good people are hard to get,” Faulkner said. “We just lost a good manager to the City for $94,000, and I remember sitting here in this court when we didn’t think he was worth $50 (thousand). You get what you pay for. The management end is where we have problems, and we will continue to have them if we don’t pay decent wages.”

The court also refused the motion to move Sebastian County’s 17-grade pay system to a 25-grade system and bring all affected employee’s up to the minimum salary, an act that would have cost between $5,000 and $10,000, according to Hudson’s estimates.

The vote failed 7-6.

Hudson noted that compensation policy decisions would move forward at the 17-grade system, though it may be “retooled” for the June meeting.

In other actions, Doug Melton was reappointed to the County Equalization Board through a unanimous vote, while County Comptroller Sue Reed was officially recognized for her “outstanding contributions” for 14 years in the position.

In addition to these developments, the court also approved salary supplement and building rental and lease increases totaling $17,200 on the 2011 budget for the county extension offices and appropriated $500,000 for the county’s rural fire departments that was discussed at the April meeting.

The next meeting of the Sebastian County Quorum Court will be held June 16 at 7 p.m.