The Columbia County Finance Committee recently held a meeting to address several issues, including the need to repair the county coroner’s vehicle, establish a building fund, and discuss salary raises for county employees. County Coroner Randy Reed explained that the transmission in the coroner’s van had failed and requested approval to have it fixed. County Judge Doug Fields informed the committee that the estimated cost for the transmission replacement would be around $4,000. Additionally, the committee discussed the establishment of a building sub-fund to allocate funds for future county building repairs and projects. County Treasurer Selena Blair noted that this fund would help track expenses related to building repairs more efficiently. However, concerns were raised about ongoing expenses being paid with reserve money. Ultimately, the committee agreed to transfer $1.5 million to the sub-fund.
Another significant discussion during the meeting focused on salary raises for county employees. JP Jeremy Langley expressed his disagreement with the proposed 15% raise for elected officials and the 10% raise for employees, suggesting a maximum 5% increase instead. However, JPs Sam Sharp, Annette Pate, Penny Cook, and Shaun Dodson supported the proposed raise and were willing to settle for a 10% increase for both officials and employees. Langley, Burnie Sharp, Lynn Story, and Mike Loe initially supported a 5% raise but eventually compromised with an 7.5% increase in salaries. The committee debate highlighted differing opinions on the issue, with Langley emphasizing that some county employees are living at the poverty level and supporting a higher raise. Ultimately, the committee recommended an 8.5% salary increase for all county employees, except for deputies, JPs, and the coroner’s office, which would receive additional increases to bring them to the same pay scale as other county officials.
The meeting addressed the urgent need for vehicle repairs, the establishment of a building fund, and the important matter of salary raises for county employees. While the coroner’s van faced transmission issues, a cost estimate of approximately $4,000 was determined for the repair. The building fund saw discussion around appropriating surplus funds from the County General fund to facilitate future county building repairs and projects. Concerns were raised about ongoing expenses being covered by reserve money. The issue of salary raises sparked intense debate, with differing opinions among JPs regarding the proposed 10% increase. Eventually, the committee settled on an 8.5% raise for county employees, with additional increases for certain positions to ensure pay parity. The meeting underlined the need to address these pressing matters affecting county operations and employee compensation.
