Sun "Our View" 7-25-09

[WCTA]

OUR VIEW
County raises are out of touch with reality


William Pennington, finance director of the Clerk of Courts, told a reporter earlier this week top Walton County officials had ?received a 3 percent raise between 2006 and 2007, but added that percentage is much lower than the typical 7 to 10 percent yearly increase.?
Where has he been? Oh yeah, working for the county, where I guess it is still practice to give out double-digit raises regardless of what the economy is doing.
Contrary to what Mr. Pennington and other county officials might think, the average raise for all workers in the U.S. was something less than 4 percent.
For many, there were no raises. And for millions, there aren?t even any jobs to be had at any rate of pay.
We don?t begrudge anyone getting paid what he or she is worth or acknowledging exceptional work with a raise. However, when you consider it is tax money being spent to give officials pay raises of more than 20 percent over the last four years, it just seems a little fiscally irresponsible.
The pay scale for county officials has come under scrutiny with the revelation that some have been receiving family health care coverage, a perk added by what some believe to be questionable means. It makes us wonder what other surprises are in store if we dig a little deeper.
We congratulate the Walton County Taxpayers Association for bringing this matter to light. Our hope is it will continue its survey and share its results with the public. Apparently such a review can?t come soon enough since some think 10 percent is still the norm for an annual raise.

 

[idlewind]

Something is not adding up here because I am almost positive I read in the paper that county employees had received zero raises for the last couple of years. Now the Sun says "double digit" raises have been received. Someone is not telling the truth and nothing but the truth.

 

[Matt J]

Down with county worker raises. Everybody knows you only get a job in the parks and recreation department for the big bucks!

/sarcasm off/

 

[totally]

All county employees received a $700 raise in 2008 regardless of salary and no raises will be awarded in 2009.

 

[idlewind]

All county employees received a $700 raise in 2008 regardless of salary and no raises will be awarded in 2009.

Thats well short of "double digits" unless someone is really underpaid.

 

[totally]

That is correct; the actual facts need to be posted.

 

[idlewind]

That is correct; the actual facts need to be posted.

If you have them, please post them. I would like to know who is telling the truth.

 

[WCTA]

If you have them, please post them. I would like to know who is telling the truth.

Tell me what facts you are looking for and I will gladly post them.

The "Our View" editorial seems to be based on the article in the 7-25 Sun written by Kimberly White.

This paragraph is where the numbers used in the Sun column came from.


According to figures provided by William Pennington, finance director of the clerk?s office, Bell?s salary in October 2005 was $98,255. One month later, he received a nearly $11,000 step increase, bringing his salary to $109,115, Pennington said.

In October 2006, his salary went up more than $4,000, to $113,480, then up again in 2007 nearly $7,000, to $120,391.

Bell?s current salary is $121,091, a difference of more than $7,500 since October 2006 ? but nearly $23,000 since October 2005.

Pennington calculated that Bell and other top officials did receive a 3 percent raise between 2006 and 2007, but added that percentage is much lower than the typical 7 percent to 10 percent yearly increase.

All county employees received a $700.00 raise last year and the current proposed budget for next year has no salary increases for any employee.

 

[Bob Wells]

Tell me what facts you are looking for and I will gladly post them.

The "Our View" editorial seems to be based on the article in the 7-25 Sun written by Kimberly White.

This paragraph is where the numbers used in the Sun column came from.


According to figures provided by William Pennington, finance director of the clerk?s office, Bell?s salary in October 2005 was $98,255. One month later, he received a nearly $11,000 step increase, bringing his salary to $109,115, Pennington said.

In October 2006, his salary went up more than $4,000, to $113,480, then up again in 2007 nearly $7,000, to $120,391.

Bell?s current salary is $121,091, a difference of more than $7,500 since October 2006 ? but nearly $23,000 since October 2005.

Pennington calculated that Bell and other top officials did receive a 3 percent raise between 2006 and 2007, but added that percentage is much lower than the typical 7 percent to 10 percent yearly increase.

All county employees received a $700.00 raise last year and the current proposed budget for next year has no salary increases for any employee.

As I remember, the $700 increase was just for last year and this year that money will be deleted from there checks. So not only will they not be getting a raise, but will also see a decrease in there pay and they will also be paying for part of their insurance. Oh well those on the lower end of the pay scale were making to much anyway. Let them eat cake. (as SWGB would say) /sarcasm off/
As for Ronnie Bell and what he was making, it was not nearly enough and had they the Commissioners or who ever set his pay, increased it before the bust there would have been very little said. This is a guy who has put in, what, 30 years and rose through the ranks, plus his retirement is based on the highest 3 of last five so at least he will see a pretty decent raise in his retirement.

 

[idlewind]

Tell me what facts you are looking for and I will gladly post them.

The "Our View" editorial seems to be based on the article in the 7-25 Sun written by Kimberly White.

This paragraph is where the numbers used in the Sun column came from.


According to figures provided by William Pennington, finance director of the clerk?s office, Bell?s salary in October 2005 was $98,255. One month later, he received a nearly $11,000 step increase, bringing his salary to $109,115, Pennington said.

In October 2006, his salary went up more than $4,000, to $113,480, then up again in 2007 nearly $7,000, to $120,391.

Bell?s current salary is $121,091, a difference of more than $7,500 since October 2006 ? but nearly $23,000 since October 2005.

Pennington calculated that Bell and other top officials did receive a 3 percent raise between 2006 and 2007, but added that percentage is much lower than the typical 7 percent to 10 percent yearly increase.

All county employees received a $700.00 raise last year and the current proposed budget for next year has no salary increases for any employee.

Thanks for the clarification. Seems to me the editorial is an attempt to sensationalize the issue by using an offhand comment from a county employee in the place of facts. This type of stretching does the less-government movement no good.