There will be no raises in salary for elected officials in Orange County next year. Tuesday the Commissioners Court voted 3-2 for salaries of elected officials in the county to remain the same next fiscal year. County Judge Brint Carlton made the motion for no change in salaries, and he was joined by Commissioners Barry Burton and Jody Crump.
Immediately following that vote Commissioner John Banken made a motion to cut $1,000 a month from the salaries of each member on the Commissioners Court saying it would save the county $60,000 for the next fiscal year. Commissioner David Dubose seconded the motion which was then defeated 3-2 with the judge and the other two commissioners voting against the pay cut for court members. Banken and Dubose are both leaving the Commissioners Court at the end of the calendar year so they would have had a pay cut for only three months if their motion had been passed.
The administrative assistant for County Judge Brint Carlton will be reclassified as a County Court Coordinator following a vote Tuesday by the Commissioners Court. The vote took a matter of a few seconds to be approved; the discussion leading up to the vote took almost an hour.
Both County Court at Law Judges Mandy White-Rogers and Troy Johnson spoke against the re-classification mostly along the lines that there was not a need for the reclassification since it was not necessary for Judge Carlton to be a judge in a constitutional county court. Both Rogers and Johnson said their courts were busy, but not back-logged, and questioned Carlton about the motives for implementing the county court.
Commissioners Burton and Crump joined with Judge Carlton in approving the reclassification for Holly Wheeler. The reclassification will mean an increase of a little over $4600 a year in her salary.
County employees will have to work at least 20 years with Orange County in order to receive full health insurance coverage from the county when they retire. The Commissioners Court approved the change in a policy that implements a similar graduated scale of health insurance coverage for current county employees that was approved previously for only future employees hired by the county. Commissioner Burton made the motion for the change in the policy. County Judge Carlton and Commissioner Crump also supported the change of policy in the 3-2 vote of the Commissioners Court.
Effective the beginning of the new fiscal year, October 1, county employees that work 20 cumulative years with Orange County will get 100 percent of their health insurance paid for by the county when they retire. Employees that work less than 20, but more than 16 years will get 75 percent of their insurance paid from the county. Fifty percent of health insurance costs will be paid for employees when they retire who work between 12 to 16 years. Retirees that work at least 8 years to just fewer than 12 years will get 25 percent of their health insurance paid for by the county.
Financing was approved by the Commissioners for the energy efficiency improvements project to be done by Way Services on the courthouse, the county jail, and several other Orange County buildings. Financial advisers told the Court that the county’s bond rating was excellent. After the bonds go on sale, hopefully by October 11, the improvements by Way Services should begin.
The Commissioners approved amending a resolution which will reduce the number of sewer units to be improved under a block grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Grant administrator Randy Blanks with David Waxman Inc. advised the Commissioners Court that 16 sewer units have been completed and two more are underway. Blanks requested three more units be considered bringing the total number to 21 that will be addressed. The original grant called for 28 units to be improved.
The county’s MIS Department which oversees all the computers at the courthouse will be restructuring because of an unexpected retirement within the department. Lisa Reeves the department head received approval from the Commissioners Court to adjust the pay for four positions in her office totaling almost $10,000 to help in hiring the employees needed to operate the department efficiently. The Court instructed Reeves to check her budget to see where the additional funds could be transferred to make up the difference.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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