County Mileage Rate Nears State’s
Glasscock County Commissioners (Jimmy Strube absent) voted July 10 to increase the rate the county pays for personal car use to 40 cents per mile, approaching the rate of 44.5 cents paid by the state. The previous county rate of 28 cents per mile had been in effect as long as anyone on the court could remember. County Treasurer Alan Dierschke commented that since the county now has fewer vehicles available for miscellaneous use, more employees are using personal cars for county business.
Dierschke reported that the county’s contribution to employee retirement will increase to 10.41 percent, up from 10.02 percent, in the next fiscal year at the current funding rate of 125 percent. He also said the cost of employees’ optional life insurance will increase from 1.03 percent to 1.15 percent. This life insurance pays a death benefit of one year’s salary if a person dies while still a county employee, or $5,000 if retired.
Dierschke said he will provide figures for both the retirement costs and optional insurance when the court begins discussion of the 2007 budget at its next regular meeting Aug. 14.
Commissioners discussed, but took no action on a pipeline right-of-way near the volunteer fire department building in St. Lawrence. The court objected to language that would release the company from damages prior to the work being done. County Judge Wilburn Bednar said he would talk to the attorney who drew the agreement.
Schafer says County ‘Ripped Off’ on Equipment Repair
Commissioner Marck Schafer again complained about both the costs the county is being charged for repair of road equipment and the quality of the repair. He said he thinks repair companies often take advantage of public entities. He also said the county might need to look for repair work outside the Permian Basin, where most work is done for oil companies. He said the county is already well over its budget for equipment repairs, and they aren’t complete. Schafer said he thinks maybe the county maintenance could be a little better, but doesn’t think county employees abuse the equipment.
The other commissioners agreed that repair costs are too high. Michael Hoch said repairs are a necessity with old equipment, and one option is to keep newer equipment and utilize buy-backs, so most is under warranty. Bednar suggested that the county may have more trucks than it needs, and that several old trucks might be sold and fewer new ones purchased.
The court discussed tearing down the old, vacant house southeast of the courthouse, but took no action pending discussion with owners.
A slate of election judges and alternates was approved. Election judges are: Anne Hoelscher, Jo Ann Turner, Helen Glass, Maritha Blalock and Betty Pate; alternates are: Barbara Fuchs, Doris Schwartz, Sandy Allen, Kristi Long and Kathleen Schniers.