Court debates sheriff employee’s pay

By Dave Taylor

Hancock County Sheriff Dale Bozarth went to bat for one of his employees Monday during the fiscal court meeting over a vote by the court earlier this month to modify a raise he’d given.
Bozarth presented a budget amendment for the raise for his chief tax clerk after the court voted that the raise wasn’t in the original budget and modified it.
He’d been told by state auditors that he could do an amendment but it was recommended that he wait until the end of the calendar year.

“Well last week you all voted on something to stop payment on part of her pay, so then I come up and done the amendment on the budget,” Bozarth said.
Magistrates had questioned the raise, which was given before an across the board 2 percent raise was given to all county employees, and whether it was excessive.
“She is the highest paid hourly in the county,” said Judge-Executive Johnny “Chic” Roberts.
Magistrate Kasey Emmick said he had questioned why the front line sheriff’s deputies weren’t making more than someone in the office.

Bozarth said the pay was similar to others in the Administration Building, and that as the lone tax clerk, who also handles other matters in the sheriff’s office, she earned what he gave her.
“I called other sheriff’s offices to get the pay and it falls along with their pay, and I cannot find one that does a tax administration with one person. Most of these have two,” he said.
Plus, he said, state law gives him the right to set employees’ pay up to a certain limit, which he was still below.
He also pointed out that in the 22 years he’s been sheriff there have been positions added in other offices while his hasn’t grown, and in fact has shrunk.
“We’ve got six full-time employees for the sheriff’s office,” he said. “Call around to McLean County and (counties) our size and find a sheriff’s office that’s working with six full-time people. Try to find it.”
Roberts said he and the court support the sheriff’s office and have helped them with raises and that if the law gives Bozarth authority then the court wouldn’t have to vote on it and would simply ensure it was handled legally through the county attorney.

The court also took the following actions:
• Heard from Nick McManaway, who asked if the county could notify his trash company when road construction is being done to avoid lengthy and expensive detours.
• Approved the minutes of the previous meeting.
• Voted to reapprove a revised employee salary list.
• Tina Snyder submitted the library tax rates for the upcoming fiscal year, which is the compensating rate. The rate will be 11.5 cents per $100 of assessed value of real property, 11.5 per $100 on personal property and 3.99 cents per $100 on motor vehicles, which is expected to bring in $1,063,273 in total revenue.
• Approved Resolution 2020-10, which begins the process of trading the ownership of a section of state Route 2181 to the state for Dutch Bill Loop, in order to streamline the maintenance of those two roads.
• Approved Resolution 2020-11, which approves a lease on a Mack truck.
• Damian Rice asked to hire two part-time employees in emergency services due to a shortage of medics.
• Approved the purchase of protective vests for the emergency responders for $11,344.50, which would be replaced every five years. Rice said the ambulance service could make more money by helping in Owensboro but they turn them down due to safety concerns.
• Discussed software that could speed up 911 response times and voted to add GPS equipment on ambulances to track speeds and driving motions for $1,300 a year.