Mandate To Houston County Commission From Personnel Board

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 5261

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jul 24 2014 9:36 AM

HOUSTON COUNTY: The Houston County Commission has the following item in the agenda:

Request from the Personnel Board to approve implementation of the Wage Study.

Here is the issue. A non elected board, which in the past was “fixed” by certain commissioners, are mandated by the non elected, non financially responsible members of the appointed board.

No one ever really monitors the activities of the Houston County Personnel Board. They meet and unless you notice it posted on the board, no one really knows they are meeting.

Who can name the members of the board?

Yet their recommendation is a mandate to the Houston County Commission, money or no money, to be followed.

How does the board know if there is sufficient money to implement a raise? What are they responsible for in making ends meet in the county operation?

Do the employees need a raise? Perhaps they do. However, they have it pretty good.

Look, CARE Ambulance closed. Perdue Farms terminated about 500 jobs. All Food Worlds Closed, Bruno’s closed. Ventress Furniture closed. Shall I continue?

My health insurance jumped from $ 500 a month to $ 1285 a month. What does the government employees pay?

I work 7 days a week. Government employees with Houston County work 4 days a week, unless a holiday. Then it is only 3 days per week.

The employees are great. They deserve more money.

But the private sector is trying to make a living. And the private sector is loosing jobs, Some at the hands of government leaders, who could care less.

In Houston County we have issues with fire and EMS in the county. Employers do not want to let employees take off work to respond. That places the residents outside the city limits of Dothan in danger.

The Houston County Commission is not addressing the need.

The point is, the Houston County Personnel Board issuing a mandate to the county commission is something that needs to be changed.