County staffers recommend 3 percent raises

The commission will decide next month on merit pay and cost of living for county workers, whose pay has been criticized as excessive.

By BARBARA BEHRENDT, Times Staff Writer
Published August 29, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - At a time when pay for county employees is getting more attention than ever, the County Commission on Tuesday discussed what they considered to be fair raises for the workers.

The county staff has recommended that commissioners set aside about $375,000 for raises, which is 3 percent of the total salary and benefit costs in the coming year's budget. County Administrator Gary Kuhl would distribute those dollars according to a combination of cost-of-living raises and merit pay increases.

Under the plan outlined, staffers who earned a satisfactory evaluation would get a 2 percent cost-of-living raise. Employees with above-average evaluations could get merit raises, at most another 1.5 percent.

The commission did not act on the staff recommendation, deferring instead until its next meeting Sept. 12 at the request of Commissioner Chris Kingsley, who was unable to attend Tuesday's meeting.

That sets the next public discussion of pay increases for just one day ahead of the first public hearing on the proposed 2007-08 county budget and tax rate.

Although they didn't make a decision on the raises, commissioners had plenty to say about the topic and about the public discussion on the issue heightened by the recent Government Gone Wild seminars.

Commissioner Diane Rowden countered those in the community who have complained that county employees are overpaid. Some county workers, she said, fall below federal poverty levels. To say that all workers are overpaid, "is not accurate information."

Rowden argued that county employees deserve raises to keep them up with the cost of living. By comparison, she said, Social Security is figuring that the cost of living has risen by 3.3 percent.

"Everyone deserves a cost-of-living raise," she said, adding that the county should have other options for those who don't score well on their evaluations.

Commissioner Dave Russell liked the proposed distribution of the raise money.

"This is as free market as you can get. You reward people who work hard," he said. "The bottom line is that we can't reward sloth. We have to reward folks who work hard or there is no reason for them to continue to do that."

Commission Chairman Jeff Stabins questioned the pay raise level of the offices run by the constitutional officers. All matched the 3 percent average increase or have promised to match it except for the sheriff, who is offering 5.5 percent, according to George Zoettlein, director of the office of management and budget.

Blaise Ingoglia, the Spring Hill home builder who has been putting on the Government Gone Wild seminars, told commissioners that their salary numbers confirm one of the points of his seminar, which is that government workers are paid more than workers in the private sector.

Althoughhe supports hard-working county employees, he said, only people in the private sector who get merit pay are either earning money or saving money for their employer.

He suggested that the county consider paying bonuses rather than merit pay increases because those compound year after year while bonuses are one-time payments.

Others urged the commissioners to take a harder look at their spending and cut still more from their budget to provide citizens more tax relief.

Kuhl, who attended one of the Government Gone Wild presentations last week, said he wasn't going to debate the various points made but that he continued to try to provide the public with accurate information about government spending.

Kuhl also said that the county staff is continuing to look at various cost-saving measures, including partnering with other government entities and possibly combining county departments to increase efficiencies.

Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or 352 848-1434.

[Last modified August 28, 2007, 21:08:03]