After Weeks Of Denial, Century Agrees To Pay Former Employee Over $4K He Was Owed

May 23, 2024

It appears a former Town of Century employee will be paid several weeks after his resignation and multiples appearances before the town council seeking his final check.

Gas operator Billy “B.J.” Johnson submitted his two weeks’ notice to Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. on March 21, stating that his last day would be April 4.

Johnson told the council that he was not allowed to take time off as the only certified gas operator, so he accrued sick leave and did not use vacation pay.

The town’s employee handbook, last updated in 1993, states that vacation time not used by the end of the year is forfeited. However, Johnson provided the town council with an October 20, 2023, email from Gomez allowing Johnson to carry over 88 hours of vacation time.

With the vacation and comp time, Johnson claimed he was owned for 196.5 hours at his hourly rate of $21.84 for a total of $4,294.56.

Council president Dynette Lewis suggested the council turn the issue over to the town attorney and procurement specialist to verify the amounts.

“I’m sorry, it’s been over six weeks,” Johnson told the town council this week.

“It’s my opinion that is the same when I did the math,” council member Alicia Johnson said. “That’s the same that I come up with, and it’s my opinion that we need to pay him. That’s what we owe him.”

The council voted 4-1 to pay Johnson the $4,294.56 after a motion by Johnson and a second by council member Sandra McMurray Jackson. Lewis cast the dissenting vote.

Comments

11 Responses to “After Weeks Of Denial, Century Agrees To Pay Former Employee Over $4K He Was Owed”

  1. Incompetent Leaderahip on May 25th, 2024 3:07 pm

    The whole town administration is incompetent. Can’t even spell simple words right on official documents. Way to keep us looking like morons in the news always!

  2. Always Volunteer on May 23rd, 2024 9:37 pm

    Way to go BJ you deserve to be paid. You are a good man. Maybe
    Now you should help the town and put In David M in as Mayor and work as volunteers for free. You can run everything just follow Davids orders and in a year it will all be back in order. Help the town of century. You both will sleep better at night know you did your part.Right a wrong

  3. Wondering on May 23rd, 2024 12:45 pm

    Didn’t I see comments about “South Florida” folks would be coming in when the first person was not hired and then hired from there. Looks like some people should be picking Lotto tickets!

  4. Enough on May 23rd, 2024 11:36 am

    So no certified gas operator, no clerk, no water and sewer operators and no word from the commission that they put it on the ballot to dissolve the charter.

    What’s up Barry and Saltzman. Running for reelection with blindfolds on? Where the investigation you supposedly ordered Saltzman? Lip service?

    Gas going to prison and schools in D5 as well as water and discharge of sewage in the river.

    How is that even possible.

  5. tg on May 23rd, 2024 11:02 am

    Question? ….If all employees resign could they finally shut this mess down.

  6. retired on May 23rd, 2024 10:10 am

    You better ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun to the bank with that check or demand CASH.

  7. OhYouKnow on May 23rd, 2024 10:07 am

    Dynette Lewis why would you cast the dissenting vote? Flexing the power on a Ex employee because he left? Maybe because he exposed what you should be correcting instead of oh I don’t know hiring a town clerk for 70000 a year? Could you not have hired a certified gas operator?

  8. Impressive on May 23rd, 2024 10:04 am

    Received and “excepted”….nice.

  9. Bill T on May 23rd, 2024 9:23 am

    Every time you look up century is in the news !!why? Because you got people who try to run a town that are about as smart as a goat !!! Get rid of all the people currently in any kind of power these people are 98.6 % of the problem!!! Put a bunch of 5th graders in to run it you will get better results !!!

  10. George on May 23rd, 2024 8:44 am

    So they are eager to pay tens of thousands to “remote” workers in south Florida but will try to deny paying local workers. I hope the local voters are paying attention.

  11. ProudArmyParent on May 23rd, 2024 7:54 am

    I find it reprehensible that Dynette Lewis would vote against the deserved earning that were owed to Billy “B.J.” Johnson. I’m positive she made sure ahead received her full earnings when she left FDOC!