After an hour of hearing input from citizens and elected officials the Commissioners Court failed Tuesday to approve any change to elected county officials’ compensation. The Court could not get approval of the proposed increase in compensation for the officials which was approved two weeks ago or the slightly modified compensation as recommended again by Human Resource Director Lori Ardoin who made the earlier suggested proposed compensations for all 17 elected officials.
Three citizens spoke to the Court, all opposing any increase in compensation for elected officials especially any increase for the members of the Commissioners Court. All the members of the Court commented on the proposed compensation, and they were joined by four other elected officials voicing their opinions. District Clerk Vickie Edgerly said the old pay matrix for elected officials was not broken, just not used properly for years. Sheriff Keith Merritt reminded the Commissioners that because elected officials had not received a pay raise for close to 10 years he gets paid less than his Chief Deputy. County Treasurer Christy Khoury and Justice of the Peace Hershel Stagner both spoke positively of the proposed compensations.
When a vote was taken on the revised compensation, it failed 2 to 3 with only Commissioners Johnny Trahan and John Gothia voting in favor. Commissioner Barry Burton made a motion for a three percent cost of living increase for all elected officials with an additional $720 phone allowance for all of them. His motion died for a lack of a second. The result is all the elected officials will keep their current salaries for next fiscal year with only longevity pay added to the compensation.
The Commissioners Court did approve a substantial increase in the funding for the Orange County Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The county has been paying a per capita fee of $1.34 to be a member of the EDC which amounts to $109,000 annually. EDC Executive Director Jessica Hill requested the county up the ante to $525,000 a year which will allow Orange County to compete with other counties and cities that frequently can outbid the county for prospective businesses to move to their areas.
The Court unanimously approved raising the county’s annual support for the EDC to $375,000 with another $150,000 to be available for capital outlay and improvements to purchase properties that could be used for economic development. Hill is also requesting other partners in the EDC to raise their contributions from the $1.34 per capita to $2.00.
In other business, the Commissioners approved Maintenance Director Kurt Guidry to advertise for filling a position in his department that has become vacant recently with the medical retirement of a longtime employee. The Court discussed with Janell Dischler the director of the Transportation Department about hiring some full-time drivers to transport citizens to receive medical treatment in Jefferson County. With the closure of Baptist Hospital in Orange many senior citizens need to be taken to Beaumont for visits to their doctors, and part-time drivers cannot stay there long enough because of the limited hours they are allowed to drive the county’s buses. No action was taken, but it will be considered at a future meeting
Also, to be considered at a later date is the purchase of street signs for the Courthouse complex. Commissioner Trahan has received a bid from Vulcan Signs for about $500 to erect 20 signs that will give citizens better directions on where various county offices are located in the three buildings that make up the complex. Purchaser Connie Cassidy will review the bid and see if there could be any better bids available for the signs.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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