News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County Commission Chair Stanley Neal said he is disappointed with the way the COVID bonus situation has evolved among county employees and the commission.
Neal said he feels that all commissioners want to give a bonus but comments by some employees have caused a division.
“Things have been said between employees and county commissioners, and its just caused some county commissioners to not work as hard on this or maybe have the same ideas as other county commissioners may have,” Neal said.
Neal said moving forward, the budget committee needs to sit down and come to an agreement on just how much that bonus will be. At the same time, Neal said members need to think about how bonuses might impact raises.
“With a bonus and a raise attached to it, you have a $1,500 bonus for instance that was voted on in that amendment, and if it was voted to give the employees a five percent raise, someone that’s making $30,000 in that first year they are going to have that $3,000. But not only that, within a five year time period, they are going to have $9,000.”
Neal said from his discussions with county employees, most seem to want a mixture of COVID bonuses and raises. Neal said he thinks county commissioners want to follow this route so extra money can be earned throughout their careers and to also compete with other counties.
“We got rapid inflation hitting. It’s hitting everyone’s pocket books,” Neal said. “Our employees need to be paid enough to help them in that situation. Also, we are always competing with other counties in employment. One county will up or give a raise to their employees such as an EMS and that puts us at a lower amount. So we have employees leave to go to that county and to keep employees here we have to raise them up.”
Neal said the COVID bonuses and raises will be up for discussion at Monday’s budget committee meeting. Neal said the matter needs to be passed, so the county can move forward on the new budget.
