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Escambia County Backs Out Of Employee Raises
December 12, 2012
The Escambia County Commission is backing out of a 3-percent cost of living raise for employees, saying there simply is not enough money. The raises were passed with the understanding that the commission would be required to find a way to save the money elsewhere in the budget to pay up to employees.
The commission did agree to allow employees to sell back up to 80 hours of accrued leave time. If every employee cashed in their available leave under the plan, it will cost the county $1.4 million, compared to $3 million for across the board raises. The funds will come from $2.5 million in rebates from the county’s health insurance policy received for meeting cost reduction plans.
The leave buyback program will cover Board of County Commission employees, the Supervisor of Elections Office, Property Appraiser’s Office, the Tax Collector and the Sheriff’s Office.
About half of the county’s employees have very few, if any, accumulated leave hours.
Comments
30 Responses to “Escambia County Backs Out Of Employee Raises”
Dear Mr. Robertson; Since you seem to be paying attention to these comments, I’ll offer a few more tax saving ideas.
1. Shutter the Money Pit Civic Arena and quit dumping tax funded subsidies into it.
2. Make the ECAT pay it’s own way or shut it down
3. Go to the State Legislature and shut down the Santa Rosa Island Authority, and Incorporate its functions into other county departments. Okaloosa County did it with theirs years ago, and nobody there misses the Okaloosa Island Authority.
Any tax supported functions other than roads, police, fire and jails should be evaluated with a very critical eye.
Unless gas gets down to one dollar Mr.Robertson, lol we wil never see two dollars a gallon especially with the commission approving gas taxes for an obvious sinking ship. Let’s not forget the Equestrian center hiring. Current employees can only wish while you went to bat for Gibbs to get him double before he even started. I believe sir you wear the top hat at the show.
Shame on us???? Some of us haven’t had raises in years and do not have the added benefits of government employee insurance. No offense sir, but what has the commission done to bring jobs into this area (Mobile seems to have been successful at this). I have lost all faith in politicians.
Dear dang, I am the only commissioner who tried to give our employees the promised raise, even with one time money (savings from health insurance) but no other commissioner would agree with me. We do have the best employees around and they have not got a cost of living increase in 7 years. Shame on us.
Commisioner,
While i see where you could be defensive and want to set the record straight on some of these comments what about the Employees?
Could you not have offered that with the last 5 years of budget cuts we have many people toting a heavier load with loss of positions?
That after 5 years without a raise you supported the raise?
Just a thank you to the Employees for what they do around the clock for the citizens of this county?
Yes we were hoping and deserving of this raise but we will still be at work tomorrow continuing to make things happen with less.
Thank you to my county coworkers for all you do every day and night of the year!
By the way I forgot to say we certainly do not drive county cars.
Just for the record, the commissioners get no gas allowance, no gas card and we Tried to get the salaries for commissioners lowered with no success. That’s when we voted to no longer accept a gas allowance. The state legislature sets salaries for all 67 counties. If you feel we are over paid, please contact your legislator. I have always said I would serve if it was voluntary. Unfortunately some commissioners do not own businesses or have other incomes and they need to be paid. Also thanks for setting the record straight Mr. Green that four percent per gallon is far different than four cents per gallon, unless of course gas gets down to one dollar per gallon. Everyone have a merry Christmas.
I hear, Tell me if I am wrong, that our County has been spending to much
on hiring Engineering firms. I thought we have our own Eng. Dept. ?
I think most with common sense knew exactly what he was talking about.
REGARDING:
“They did go up 4 percent so they can keep a failed bus system.”
FOUR CENTS, NOT FOUR PERCENT
Please try to understand the difference so your complaint will make more sense/cents.
David for correct complaints
Now, now everyone, I have the perfect solution. I say that we all of the “tax paying” employees quit our jobs and get on welfare. It will save the county from paying salaries at all and we can ride the buses that the increased gas tax is paying for.
…well, the public…voters have spoken…they think that the rank and file government employees are just a notch above beggars on the street…they want minimum wage employees to handle governmental work. they dont believe in fair wages (“how dare they make more than me! i pay their salary”…lest they know governmental employees also pay their own salaries if the same criteria is being used…) well, eventually, they will get what they pay for…hope they like standing in line or waiting a week or two to get an appointment…for any governmental function…
Dont know about yall but I always see and hear “lock them up.” and “call the cops” I never hear someone say “Make them ride the ECAT bus” when they are in trouble, or someones done them wrong. Why are the ones putting themselves in harms way to protect the citizens always the ones that haveit the hardest. Its easier to sit on my couch, or ride the ECAT to the mall and buy movies with EBT cash, use my Obama phone, get free health care, and food stamps for me and each additional kid, then it is to wake up at 445 every morning, put on one of the 4 county issued uniforms, use my gas to drive into a nasty building where I will spend sun up to sun down making sure the theives, rapist, killers, ect take showers, take craps, use free soap, watch free TV, get free medical and meals. Every employed person has a job to do, not saying any county employee is less owed a raise then the next. But the ones chasing or standing next to the bad guys on a daily basis that the rest of the people lock their doors to stay away from should get compensated. Instead they are being robbed of time off, worked till their DR tells them they have to stop, and spit on by the County Commisioners, some Citizens and arrestees/inmates.
It’s gotten to where County Commissioner is a life time job. Unless someone quits the same names keep being RE ELECTED over and over. Some folks out there must like the job they are doing to keep bringing them back.
I call it voter apathy.
Good.Now get rid of the 4 cent gas tax.
Should we have expected anything else. The commission is a joke, it is poor leadership loud and clear. I could swallow not getting the 3% raise easier than the fact of being required (if I buy fuel in Esc.) to finance a bus system that I have never and probably never will utilize. Its terrible to think I pay for the bulk of transportation for a “Majority “that refuse to get a job and be productive members of society. How about money that was coming in to the bus system through the advertising on the buses, they stopped that too. You cut off a source of income and cry you need money. The small white speck at the top of the pile of trust/respect I had for the commission is surely gone. P.S. commissioners im sure the employees would love to see you at the Christmas dinner next week.
County Commissioner should be a VOLUNTEER position. No gas cards, no salary, no free trips, no cars, etc. Make them all TAKE THE BUS that they are so fond of. Maybe if they actually had to live with their decisions they would get their heads on straight.
Looks like Barry’s supporters are all alive and sharing their wisdom again. LOL
No money for raises, but they sure found money for busses, didn’t they.
They did go up 4 percent so they can keep a failed bus system. All pay so a few can ride and many don’t get a raise for 7 years and counting. I don’t see why every sworn officer in this county,deputy and corrections has not left this county for a better job elsewhere. There are much better places to live.
Meanwhile I’m keeping my promise to those 5 crooks. No gas purchase in this county, or anything else I can put off tillI I get to SR county.
Most crooked GOB’s in the state and worst county in the state.You can’t even sell your house so you can get out. You are stuck in this hole.
Part 2: Smoke and mirrors about the selling of up to 80 hours of leave time. If you’ll sell us your vacation time we’ll pay you for it using the money you should receive back from the savings on the insurance. Sounds like Jr. Samples Used Cars from Hee Haw. The worse part (if there is only one) ask your self — who is able to build 80 hours? I don’t think the rank and file workers are normally able to.
Now that this is done, let’s go back and repeal the new gas tax. Wake up County Commissioners, We the people are not getting raises, so quit trying to figure out how to get more tax money out of our pockets. Cut your spending like all the people you represent have to do. You are not Congress, and cannot print your own funny money
Exactly doc_worker! State employees have not recieved a raise for over seven years. The mandatory 3% for retirement was taken from our wages. We were not given a 3% raise to offset this like county workers.
My understanding of the law that deals with the rebate or partial refund of the premiums paid is to reduce the next years premiums or to be refunded to the payee. If the county workers are paying part of the premiums and/or if the retired personnel are paying the total cost of their insurance —- shouldn’t this refund go for that purpose? By and large the county work force is a hard working group, as in any group there will be the jack asses who do not work– but most do. I am NOT an ex county employee, just a tax payer who wishes the commissioners would do their job and stop trying to make points with their fund raisers. George is a good example of the BCC taking one step forward and two or three steps backward.
But Commissioner Robertson needs that money to get the Beulah Interchange going for his GOBs… After he bought county employees votes and support, do you really think he has to pay out? Afterall the person that was able to balance a budget and get teh money for the raises they fired! And GOB George is just there to rubber stamp the Restore money to line more pcokets for Robertson and Gene.
@Chris: If the work is not contracted out, and there are no private road companies getting rich at the taxpayer’s expense…well…I guess what I’m asking is…just were do you suggest a county politician find a job when his term is up?
Department of Corrections employees haven’t received a raise in 7 years (they did once recieve a “bonus of $1000 BEFORE taxes 6 years ago). I feel badly for the county workers but they aren’t the only ones not getting raises.
Well said chris not to mention the county will be back six months later to repair what the contractors did in the first place the county has the ability to the job cheaper and right the first time even on overtime but the commission would rather their buddies padding their pockets get the job
Maybe we can add some money to the pot by cutting some commissioner salaries!
You the county can’t find money in its budget. REALLY! How about this QUIT OUT SOURCING JOBS THAT THE COUNTY EMPLOYEE CAN DO! The County Roads & Bridges Department can do more than what it is doing, but no the COUNTY likes to contract out jobs and use the excuse that they can’t. So, everytime you drive by a road construction site and you don’t see a county sticker on any of the trucks working on the road construction just know your tax dollars already pay for a ROADS & BRIDGES DEPARTMENT that could have done it and should have done it!