White Co. commissioners discuss employee pay raises

CLEVELAND - White County employees are overdue for a pay raise and Commissioner Terry Goodger put forth the pay raise issue for discussion at Monday's commission meeting.

Goodger said last year during budget time they did not approve a pay raise and said they would look at it after the first of the year. He said he was just following through with that promise.

According to Goodger, Social Security recipients got a 3.6 percent pay raise this year.

"I thought that would be a bellwether thing you could work against," Goodger said. "I was hoping to give employees a 3 percent increase."

Goodger suggested making the increase retroactive to January 1st and take money from the contingency for this year and build it in next year's budget.

White County Sheriff Neal Walden spoke up for his department and others, telling the commissioners it has been a long five years since the last pay raise.

"We've got some employees hurting, hunting places to live and losing their houses," said Walden.

The sheriff pointed out that both Cleveland and Helen city employees have recently received pay raises.

Commission Chairman Travis Turner said he didn't disagree that the county employees deserve an increase but said his concern is how many private companies are giving pay raises, and he wondered how the general public would perceive the action.

Commissioner Edwin Nix was also hesitant.

"What kind of precedent will we be setting when the board of education is cutting jobs?" said Nix.

After some discussion, commissioners agreed to address the issue at the next work session later this month, giving them time to get some additional information.