The Commissioners Court had a short agenda Wednesday with only six items for consideration, but two items dealt with deviations to the pay matrix for county employees. Discussion of those two items alone lasted over an hour.
County Policy #240 prohibited any deviations from the pay matrix, but several exceptions have been granted by the Commissioners Court in recent years. Elected department heads also have the option to grant deviations for employees in their department if a new employee has more experience or education and their budget will allow it. Human Resource (HR) Director Lori Ordoin recommended the Court go back to the original policy and grant no deviations going forward, but allow for those exceptions already approved.
Commissioner John Gothia moved that the Court revert to the policy and follow the recommendation of Ordoin. Commissioner Johnny Trahan seconded the motion adding that the Commissioners need to address changes to the pay matrix going forward shortly. The motion for no further deviations was approved by a vote of 3 to 2 with Commissioner Barry Burton joining Gothia and Trahan.
County Judge Brint Carlton and Commissioner Jody Crump voted against the motion. Judge Carlton explained why he opposed the exclusion of any exceptions to the policy was to allow a little more flexibility in hiring new employees with more experience or education. “If a department head or elected official was requesting such a deviation go through HR so they could validate the education and experience and come to Commissioners Court with a recommendation for us to take final approval or disapproval,” Carlton concluded.
Following the previous vote the Commissioners Court decided after further discussion to take no action on changes for two employees in the District Clerk’s Office that were to go into effect that day, July 5. Vickie Edgerly, the district clerk, had already raised them to higher salaries because of their experience. One employee received a promotion, but was hired with a deviation in years of service in January. The other employee hired in April was to receive a raise in years of service as recognition for her experience and training received at her previous position. Both employees worked with Baptist Hospital in Orange before it closed.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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