Today’s meeting of the Brown County Commissioners Court was longer – and livelier – than usual, because of an animated discussion about County salaries.

The Commissioners were addressed by District Clerk Cheryl Jones, who objected to a raise for a new employee in the Elections Office that was approved by the Commissioners in June.  Jones stressed that she did not object to the pay raise itself, but rather the way it was handled.  The employee was hired in December 2023, and in June the Commissioners approved a request from Elections Administrator Brenda Arp to raise her annual pay by $2,500 because she had now worked for the County for six months.

“I don’t begrudge her a raise, and I don’t begrudge someone asking for a raise,” Jones said.  “I do think it should have been handled through a budget process, but that budget request was not made… Our budgets (for the new fiscal year) were due the week before.  I respect the process.  If I want to request a raise for one of my employees, I do it through the budget process.  And I think that is how we need to operate as a County.”  Jones mentioned that her department has employees with up to ten years of experience.  “I am asking that you give my people the same raise.  I think if you are going to do it for one, you should do it for all.”

Commissioner Gary Worley tried to explain the reason for the pay raise:  “She was hired as the Assistant Elections Administrator.  She was not hired as a clerk, but her salary started as a clerk.  And then it was raised after six months as an Assistant Elections Administrator, not a clerk… That’s where the pay raise came from, after a six-month trial period.”

County Clerk Sharon Ferguson disagreed:  “The Judge (County Judge Shane Britton) and I both are on the Elections Committee.  When we hired Brenda (Arp), when we hired the elections officer, that was never, ever mentioned in the salary part of it.  It just wasn’t.”  Ferguson also asked for a $2,500 pay raise for the six employees in her office.

County Tax-Assessor/Collector Christine Pentecost also weighed in:  “I have no issue whatsoever with the Elections Office.  The issue I have is the unfairness.  And regardless of what the position is called, the fact is she was hired at that rate and at that position.  So if we are going to up everybody $2,500 after they are here six months, then we are going to do it for everybody, in my opinion.  I totally agree with Cheryl (Jones) and Sharon (Ferguson).”  Pentecost also asked for a $2,500 raise for the five employees in her department.

Jones asked the Commissioners “to adopt a policy, that when people come outside of budget with a request like that, that you have them wait until the following budget cycle and then ask them to put it in their budget.  Because otherwise, how can we stay in budget?”

County Judge Shane Britton commented:  “We have never had a formal policy; but you are right, traditionally we have not given those types of raises outside the normal budget process.  That is probably something we should have a formal policy about.”  He suggested the creation of a Salary Committee, appointed Jones as Chairperson of the Committee, and said other persons will be added to the committee.  The particulars of this case will be discussed in Executive Session at next week’s Commissioners Court meeting.

In other business, the Commissioners:

*** Approved a bid of $36,344 from Lydick Roofing for repairs to the roof of the Elections Office building.

*** Approved an application from the Brookesmith Special Utility District to install a private water line on County Road 234.

*** Took no action on the burn ban, leaving the current burn ban in place.