News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Clay County Commissioners approved a pay raise for themselves Monday night.
Mayor Dale Reagan broke the tie and voted in favor of the raise. Compensation increased from $100 to $200 for commissioner meetings and from $50 to $100 for statutory meeting sessions.
County Commissioner Michael Miller voted against the raise. He said commissioners don’t serve to make money, but to make a difference.
“We try to be pretty fiscal, you know, fiscally responsible with a lot of the money and with a lot of the things that go through the county because we don’t have a lot of revenue,” Miller said. “So when I looked at it again, this is not something that I’m trying to get rich off of, and I’m sure the other commissioners are not either. I just didn’t think it was fair to the individuals of the county for that type of increase.”
Reagan said he voted for the raise because the commissioners have had the same set compensation for over 20 years. During his four terms as mayor, Reagan said this was the first time in a commissioner meeting he had to break a tie.
Miller said he didn’t think it was a responsible motion because of the pandemic’s economic effect. He said the $7.5 million county jail also will mean more expenses for the county. Miller said he respects the mayor’s and the other commissioner’s decision.
“County commissioners are one of the most important part of county government,” Miller said. “They do the budgets, they pass and approve the budgets, and they pretty much hold the purse strings for the county.”
