Dear Editor,
My name is Tony Adkins, a concerned citizen of this county.
Commissioner Bonner made some rather interesting comments regarding a recommendation by our county grievance committee to approve a 3% salary increase for JP 1 & 3 which amounted to around $1400.
He made a statement that he felt that every county employee deserved a raise but that he could not support any raise or other such pay increase given the current financial hardships regarding county tax revenue decrease, COVID-19 and a depressed oil market.
Were those financial hardships considered back in May of this year when he decided to give a rookie road & bridge employee a $3,000 raise from $36,720 up to $39,600 without submitting to the budget process? Wasn’t the original salary already above the entry level pay of $36,000 for that position?
Commissioner Ridge allegedly lobbied a District Judge to make a recommendation to change the part time position in the Auditor’s office to full time.
Will the court support that additional pay increase by making the part time position a full-time position? Commissioners Oakes, Ridge and Bonner frequent the Auditor’s office outside of commissioner’s court and in direct violation of the Open Meetings Act?
Is there a conspiracy between these elected officials and the auditor to make decisions outside of the commissioner’s court and outside of public record?
As per the Texas Attorney General, even secret discussions on a public matter by officers who conspire together in numbers less than a quorum violates the Open Meetings Act.
The County Judge receives $97,274.61 in remuneration including a State Supplement and a travel allowance.
Each Commissioner receives a travel allowance of $14,400.
Outside of the Constables and JP’s, who are paid substantially lower, each elected official’s pay is set at $51,687.48.
The County Judge receives a base pay of $64,574.61 and the appointed County Auditor at $58,227.04 who gave herself a 5% raise in the 2018-19 budget years.
The County Judge should voluntarily reduce the pay of that office so that the total remuneration is equal to that of $51,687.48 and each commissioner forfeit their travel allowance.
The Auditor’s pay should be decreased from $58,227.04 down to $51,687.48 or less.
These changes would save $105,827.17.
That could give EVERY full-time employee a raise of 2.78% or 7.89% for sheriff office & jail employees.
It is appalling that road and bridge employees make more than our first responders.
When was the last time a road and bridge employee or commissioner was forced to respond to a domestic abuse call that resulted in themselves being assaulted?
When was the last time that any other county employee had to strap on a bullet proof vest just to do their job?
When was the last time any other county employee worked the graveyard shift with little to no support or backup and potential life and death consequences?
When was the last time any of them kissed their family goodbye not knowing if they would give their life that day, serving others?
Tony Adkins
Fairfield, Texas
