County Employees Get Raises
Glasscock Commissioners voted 3-1 (Marck Schafer opposed) Aug. 14 to give 27 full-time county employees a salary increase of $125 per month ($1,500 per year). Schafer voted against the raise, having questioned where the $40,500 in expense could be found.
Both Commissioner Michael Hoch and Schafer agreed that current salaries are in the middle of other area counties’ pay scales, but Hoch said to stay competitive, the county should give a minimum $100 raise. Commissioner Jimmy Strube suggested giving the two Extension people half that, since they get raises from the state.
Hoch said the county ‘adjusted’ road crew salaries last year, but it gave no across-the-board raises. Schafer said if any raises were given, they should be equal for all.
Hoch at first proposed a $150 increase, then Strube suggested $125, and Hoch proposed $125 for all full-time employees with the two Extension Service employees getting half that amount and Strube agreed. Commissioner Mark Halfmann said he would support the $125 if Extension folks got the same amount, and that figure finally passed.
Sheriff Royce “Booger” Pruit had asked for a $3,600 increase for each employee in his department; County/District Clerk Rebecca Batla asked for a $2,400 increase for herself and her deputy; Alan Dierschke, county treasurer, asked for $2,400 and Extension agent Charlene Belew asked for an increase of $2,000.
Other major budget increases include: $225,000 for a maintainer, and for a full-time driver.
County income is expected to be slightly over $3 million, according to Dierschke.