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Officials OK budget, 40-hour work week
By Lynn Hotaling
With a crowd of county employees filling about half the seats in the board room, commissioners Tuesday (June 15) approved a budget based on a 36 cent per $100 valuation and instituted a 40-hour work week for county employees.
The 2004-05 budget reflects a 12-cent decrease in the tax rate and fulfills Jackson County Commissioners’ February pledge to keep the county “revenue neutral” in the wake of a state-mandated property revaluation that saw local property values skyrocket. While the tax rate has been lowered, it will generate an equal amount of revenue as last year’s 48 cents per $100 valuation, commissioners say.
Most of the night’s discussion centered around a series of amendments to the proposed $48.6 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Commissioners unanimously approved an order that requires department heads to attend the first commissioners’ meeting of each month so they can brief their staff on pending action by county officials.
The order was apparently triggered by employee consternation after they learned of a pending change to their work week from a report in the June 10 edition of The Sylva Herald.
Commissioners discussed a proposal to switch county employees from a 37.5-hour work week to a 40-hour week during a June 3 special meeting, and that discussion was summarized in last week’s Herald, leading to employee protests.
Buchanan told assembled employees that communication had broken down, and that’s why the board would mandate department heads, or their representatives, to begin attending commissioners’ meetings.
“We’ve definitely had a disconnect on this,” he said. “Some of it’s my fault.
“We’re a team, and it’s sad that employees have to read policies in The Sylva Herald.”
Buchanan went on to say that even though all other counties in the area require 40 hours a week from employees, commissioners did not intend to make the change until they could fully implement a new personnel policy and salary schedule (also approved Tuesday) that provide for uniform pay increases.
The revised pay schedule defines a series of grades and steps to bring county salaries in line with a study completed several years ago. The new plan rewards longevity and takes cost of living increases into account, Buchanan said. It also stipulates that all job descriptions and classifications will be reviewed annually as part of the budget process, he said.
Initially commissioners didn’t think they could fully implement the whole plan this year, Buchanan said, but they decided to move forward because county employees are the board’s first priority.
“This is a system we feel will be fair and equitable,” Buchanan said.
In deciding to implement the new personnel policy and salary schedule with fair and consistent grades and steps, commissioners chose a more difficult path, Buchanan said, but they did with an eye toward the employees’ best interest.
“Folks, the easy thing would have been to do nothing,” he said. “It would have been easy to say ‘give them 2 percent’ or ‘give them 3 percent’ and not stir up this hornet’s nest.”
Other commissioners echoed Buchanan.
“I know some of our employees feel like 40 hours was thrown at them, and I know they were dismayed to read about it in The Sylva Herald,” said Commissioner Roberta Crawford. “It’s not something we were going to do until we decided to implement the new salary schedule.”
Crawford also expressed her appreciation to the employees.
“Thank you,” she said. “Without you we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about raises.”
“Our first priority was to take care of you,” Commissioner Eddie Madden told the employees. “I know how dedicated you are and the time you put in. I know you’re the ‘face’ of this county.”
Madden pointed out that some employees had been as much as 18 steps behind where they should be but that the new policy would have everyone moved to the right level within three years.
“I want you to know I’m encouraged by the steps this board is taking to compensate you adequately,” Madden said. “I hate to see that sidetracked by the 40-hour week.”
Of the approximately $1.2 million available over fixed expenses, more than $600,000 will go to salary increases, county Manager Ken Westmoreland said.
“I’ve been on the other side of the table,” said Commissioner Brian McMahan, a former county employee. “What we’ve tried to do is implement a system where every employee gets a raise every year if they stay and do their job.”
McMahan also pointed to the excellent benefit package provided to county employees, saying it was among the top five of the state’s 100 counties.
“I want you to think (about something),” McMahan said. “A lot of folks in this county are working way more than 40 hours, with way less benefits, in a worse environment. They would love to have a job like yours, and I want you to think about that.”
Commissioner Joe Cowan added more words of gratitude.
“We do appreciate you very much,” he told the employees. “And with the new system, you’ll know what to expect.”
Cowan also spoke in favor of the move to a 40-hour week.
“I was shocked when I heard (county employees worked) 37.5 hours,” he said. “I think the public expects us to work just like everyone else.”
Nancy Cagle of the Department of Social Services told commissioners that county employees’ 37.5-hour work week had been instituted by previous commissioners and the current board should consider all sides before changing that policy.
According to Cagle, the 7.5-hour days were implemented to provide better customer service in that employees would not be away from their desks for 15-minute morning and afternoon breaks. Employees gave up their breaks in return for the shorter day, she said. The move to a 40-hour work week would mean a per-hour pay cut for county employees, since current pay scales are based on a 37.5-hour work week, she said.
Other amendments to the budget approved Tuesday are:
– The addition of 2 percent over the initial budgeted amount for the county’s volunteer fire departments and rescue squads to fulfill a pledge made last year that the departments would get an additional 2 percent each year.
– An allocation of $75,000 for painting the historic Jackson County Courthouse. Funds will initially be taken from contingency but will be recovered through the sale of surplus county property, Commissioners’ Chairman Stacy Buchanan said.
– An allocation of $5,000 to the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee to provide matching funds for a grant the group received. Grant funds will be used for monitoring and cleanup of three “sub-watersheds” – Savannah Creek, Greens Creek and Barkers Creek.
All three have elevated levels of turbidity, and the effort will be aimed at sediment control, said Westmoreland.
In other business, commissioners unanimously approved switching county employees from an existing 401(K) plan to one used by state employees.
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