The Pulaski County Quorum Court last night adopted what the Democrat-Gazette termed “one-time cost of living increases” up to 5 percent for county employees.
Question: Does that cover Quorum Court members, too, the people who voted the bonus? It typically does. I hope to hear from a JP shortly on that. I’m also a little confused from varying language in the article of whether this is a bonus or a raise built into the salary schedule, but it sounds like a lump sum bonus.
UPDATE: There was a motion to exclude elected officials from the pay enhancement. That motion failed, as ever.
The so-called Conservative Caucus on the court said it right, but voted wrong. This pay plan, with more money paid on longevity, generally meant the biggest bonuses, 5 percent, will go to the highest paid employees who’ve worked at least five years and smaller bonuses for the people who need them most, 2 percent for those with two years’ employment. (For example, restaurant raiding treasurer Buckner gets more than $3,000; a $10-an-hour janitor with two year’s experience gets about $400.) New hires (last four months) get nada. Merry Christmas from the County Clubhouse.
I won’t repeat my rant of last year about the county’s ability to pay bonus or salary increases of 5 percent or more a year for the fourth consecutive year while city and state employees — not too mention the disproportionately unemployed private workforce — have experienced nothing of the sort. Pulaski County employees got a 5 percent raise last year; a 4 percent raise AND a 4 percent bonus the year before that, and a 5 percent raise the year before that. JP moaning last night about hard times was, in short, a little out of date.
JP Phil Stowers, who raised questions about employees on the bottom end of the scale, adds a point worth considering: