$ 239,000.00 Annually Houston County Commission Agenda

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
3347901729
Date: Jun 06 2024 7:55 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY:      On Monday, June 10, 2024, the third floor of the Houston County Administrative Building in the 400 block of North Oates Street in Dothan, your Houston County Commission Chairman and four Houston County Commissioners will meet to vote YES/NO on the following issues.

If you have not received prior approval of the Chairman of the Houston County Commission Brandon Shoupe prior to today, you are not allowed to bow down and speak before these royalty men.

You see the agenda. There is never any documentation with the agenda on any of these items. This is all that is provided and is apparently their definition of "TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE". At least with the Dothan City Commission, their online agenda there is a hyperlink under each item that provides all of the details.

But the Chairman and Commissioners of Houston County which claim to be transparent and accountable, what is below is all that is provided to the public.

The Dothan Mayor makes a salary of $ 42,000.00 with no retirement and ASSociate Dothan Commissioners make $ 21,000.00 with no retirement.

Houston County Commission Chairman makes in the high $ 80,000.00 range, with retirement and health insurance along with a car allowance. Each Houston County Commissioner makes a base salary of $ 33,000.00 per year, plus after 10 years vested in the Retirement Systems of Alabama, health insurance, and $ 250.00 a month auto allowance. Two of the four Houston County Commissioners are also employed with Houston County Sheriff Department. Those are D3-Ricky Herring who is a Sergeant with Houston County Sheriff Department and D4- James Ivey who is a Captain with Houston County Sheriff Department. Both are assigned Houston County Sheriff vehicles to drive 24/7/365 and they drive them on both Sheriff Department and Commission business with claims they are on call 24/7/365, and they still draw the money to furnish their own vehicles. As a Sergeant with Houston County Sheriff Department Herring gets overtime when working overtime as a Deputy.

The County Commissioners get cost of living raises when given to county employees. The two serving as Deputy Sheriff’s and County Commissioners get those cost of living raises BOTH as a Commissioner and a Deputy Sheriff.

As you can see from the agenda below the County Commission meeting should not last over 20 minutes at the most. Not considering the raises which Chairman Shoupe has gotten several when a Commissioner, and Commissioner Dr. Curtis Harvey has had several raises in his some 16 years, and Herring got three his last fours years as Commissioner and one was 15%, just at base pay the four Commissioners and Chairman cost Houston County around $ 239,000.00 annually ( $ 19,916.67 a month ) estimated at their base pay. But we know D1 Curtis Harvey exceeds the base pay by a large amount, D3 Ricky Herring exceeds his base pay by a large amount. Not sure how Shoupe’s years as D4 County Commissioner, who received raises, and now as Chairman, how the salaries were combined. Just a little bit of information.

The Houston County Commissioners meet an average of four times a month. Two are on Thursday’s for an Administrative Meeting and two on Mondays for reguslar meeting, on an average. The position of Chairman is considered full time however Houston County does have an Administrator, Peter Covert in addition to the Chairman.

Just the 24 meetings a year, which they do not meet 24 times a year because of holidays, but if it was 24 meetings a year, just the cost for each of the four ( 4 ) commissioners, excluding the Chairman, is $ 1,500.00 per commissioner.

HOUSTON COUNTY COMMISSION

Regular Session Agenda

June 10, 2024

Call to order, Declare a Quorum Present, and Welcome – Chairman Brandon Shoupe

Invocation – Pastor Derrick Tiller, Executive Director – The Harbor
Pledge of Allegiance – Commissioner Curtis Harvey

Approval of the Minutes of the last meeting

AWARDS AND PRESENTATIONS

1. Recognition – Second Quarter Service Anniversaries – Sheri Garner, Personnel Director
2. Proclamation – “Volunteer Firefighter Recognition Day”
3. Recognition – Wicksburg High School State Championship Softball Team

REGULAR AGENDA

1. Request to approve expenditure from the capital replacement fund in the amount of $25,000 for the reconfiguration of the Information Technology and Board of Registrars Department – Tommy Dixon, County Buildings

2. Request to award bid for (2) Lenco Armored Vehicles to lowest responsible bidder meeting specs and authorize Chairman to execute all necessary financial documents – Major Bill Rafferty, Sheriff’s Dept.

3. Request to adopt Resolution for Adjusted Expenditure of American Rescue Plan Act Funds for Government Services Due to Change Order in the amount of $39,424.24 – Road & Bridge

4. Request to approve final plat for Chase Ridge Subdivision Phase V – Road & Bridge

STAFF REPORTS

Chief Administrative Officer
County Engineer
County Attorney

Adjourn

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:   My Florida person who goes by D3 Commission Sergeant Ricky Herrings personal business located at the Alabama/Florida line, text me that Sgt./Commissioner Ricky Herring was at his personal business this afternoon, on his Sheriff Department truck and in his Sheriff Department uniform shirt, pants, gun, and law enforcement equipment. I get reports daily from someone who passes by there daily.

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