County Road Crew Gets Raise
At a regular meeting Aug. 14 which focused largely on preliminary 2006-07 budget work, the Glasscock County Commissioners Court (Wilburn Bednar absent) agreed to give the nine full-time road crew employees each a $50 per month raise and to raise the landfill operator’s salary $1 per hour to $11.
Extension agents Rebel Royall and Charlene Belew had asked for raises of $2,000 each. Royall said in a memo that the court had agreed to the increase when they hired him, and he would like the amount added to his salary rather than as an annual payment. The court agreed to Royall’s request. Belew, in a memo, said her four-year tenure and job responsibilities warrant the raise.
Commissioner Michael Hoch suggested a $50 across-the-board raise for all 27 full-time employees, including elected officials, and Commissioner Marck Schafer said he opposed across-the-board raises. Salary issues may be revisited at future budget workshop meetings before the budget is finalized in September.
Tax Rate Lowered; Revenues will Rise
The court also voted to set the proposed tax rate at .3623, just under the rollback rate of .362344. The current rate is .412326. There will be a public hearing regarding the budget and proposed tax rate before the next regular court meeting Sept. 11; the date for that hearing will be posted in the courthouse, and published in the Big Spring Herald.
Some 14 people attended the Aug. 14 meeting to support a request that the county allocate approximately $4,500 for materials to expand the concession stand at the baseball field in Garden City. Volunteers will build the addition. The court agreed to budget the money.
Russell Halfmann asked the court to provide money in the next budget for adding on to the Garden City fire department building; Deputy Keith Burnett said the Garden City VFD also needs a new fire truck, making two stationed here, and the oldest one, after some work, should be taken to the Drumright fire station. It was suggested that the county start a replacement program for fire trucks, so they don’t all get rundown at once.
Presiding at the meeting in Bednar’s absence, Commissioner Jimmy Strube asked if anyone had questions for County Attorney Hardy Wilkerson, who was at the meeting. Wilkerson said he couldn’t comment on any pending lawsuit. Dennis Hoelscher questioned what can be done if an elected official is unable to fulfill the role of the office. Wilkerson said there are several options that can be filed with the District Court including incompetence or non-fulfillment of duties, but allegations have to be proven in a jury trial and it is difficult. He said, “I don’t think you can get there from here at this time.”
The court voted to purchase a $6,500 copier for the Extension office from the current budget, and agreed to use records management funds to buy a $10,000 copier for the clerk’s office. County Clerk Becky Batla said her office has collected $51,000 in fees so far this year, and averages 11,000 paid-for copies per year. She also reported $14,000 in an archives account, which the court agreed to use for restoration of some older record books.
In other matters, the court voted to accept increased medical insurance rates of $8.60 per month per employee, and again discussed buying a better mower with larger grass catcher for the courthouse.