Wednesday, June 20, 2001
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Wednesday, June 20, 2001 |
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Health workers to get pay hike Six environmentalists in Fayette County's Department of Health will get a 4-percent local supplemental pay raise in Fayette County's proposed fiscal 2002 budget. County commissioners Thursday voted 3-1, with Commissioner Linda Wells opposed, to grant the supplement in addition to the 3.5-percent raise the workers are getting from the state government. The decision came after a confusing discussion Wednesday in which it was unclear whether the Board of Health had voted to recommend a 4-percent supplement or a 7.5-percent local hike. A.G. VanLandingham, the commission's representative on the Health Board, assured fellow commissioners that the recommendation was for 4 percent. The decision, effective Oct. 1 along with the state raise, effectively cuts about $8,000 from the county's budget for the Health Department, since the original budget included the 7.5-percent supplement. Environmental health director Rick Fehr said the raises are needed to help the department keep its current workers. There's a hiring freeze in effect for state agencies, so if the department loses any of its workers, it won't be able to replace them, Fehr said. "We have people with 10, 15, 20 years of experience," said Fehr. "The question is, do you want those people making decisions about sewer systems in Fayette County, or do you want trainees?" Commissioners hope to give final approval to the budget, which totals about $65.3 million, at their meeting Thursday, June 28, to be effective July 1.
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