The question is how to stop it, especially when all employees are working harder for less money and the proposed 2013 budget still remains $661,000 out of whack.
“We can’t fix the whole thing,” Commissioner John Mayes said. “But we can maybe put a Band-Aid on it, and then do something for these people we’re losing at an alarming rate.”
Turnover of sworn officers at the county police department is at 22 percent, compared with about 6 percent at the sheriff’s office and maybe 2 percent in other departments, according to Commissioner Garry Fricks, who chairs the finance committee.
Police Chief Bill Shiflett said his latest loss was a 15-year veteran who went to Adairsville for about $4,000 more a year and a take-home car. The main issue, however, is pay compression — a situation in which newer officers hired at a higher starting pay end up making the same or more than those who have been with the county for years.
Fricks said police officers need nearly a year of training before they’re put out on the streets, and they patrol alone so good judgement is a critical asset. Still, he voiced concerns about increasing the pay scale.
“It’s not that I don’t want to give them raises. I don’t want to give them false hope,” he said. “We need to know how we are going to follow through without raising taxes.”
The board has all but decided to follow Commissioner Rhonda Wallace’s call for a 1-percent pay hike for all employees. The across-the-board raises will run about $300,000 and likely come out of an extra-fat health insurance reserve fund.
Debate is centering around an extra increase for sworn officers, and if it will include those in other departments such as the prison, public works, recreation and sheriff’s office.
Commission Chairman Irwin Bagwell asked Fricks and Mayes to meet with Shiflett on the issue and present a recommendation on Friday. The board has another budget workshop scheduled to follow an 8:15 a.m. agenda-setting session.
“We’ve got to stop the bleeding,” Bagwell said. “The problem is, how are we going to fund that.”
Interim County Manager Gary Burkhalter reminded the board that it dipped into reserves to balance the budget from 2005 – 2011. A transfer may not be necessary for 2012, he said, but the trend is projected to resume this year.
“It’s a structural imbalance that will affect our credit rating,” he said. “We still have reserves to carry us several more years, but we’re spending more than we’re taking in.”
Floyd County commissioners must adopt a 2013 budget before the end of the month.
JK. We really should pay for what we want.
Just this past week i saw two situations involving "take home cars" that i feel were a big waste of money. The 1st was last fri nite at a basketball game. 5 of the county's officers were working security at this game. It is my understanding that these officers are paid by the host school for providing the security. To get there they drove their "take home cars" so the county footed bill for the gas for them to go to a part time job. The biggest waste though was that one of the officers left his car running the whole time he was there. This may been due to the fact he is a K-9 officer and his dog may have been in the car,but last fri nite wasnt cold enough to worry about the dog getting cold. The 2nd involved the same thing. A officer had to work security at a middle school basketball game and he drove his "take home car" to get there.
Why should the taxpayers be footing the gas bill for these officers to work security and get paid privately. I could understand if the county were paid for these officers to be there and kept a small amount of the pay to help offset the cost of them using the vehicles.
There should be some sort of restrictions on when & where the people who have the "take home cars" can use them. IMO if it isnt directly related their job then they shouldnt be allowed to drive them anywhere other than their house.