County Worker Pay Raise Controversy Simmers in Lowndes County

From the West Alabama Newsroom–

County workers in Lowndes County could soon see a bump in the amount of money they see in their pay checks.

Budget talks by the county commission have included discussions about giving a pay raise to county workers.

“The employees needs a pay increase because without the employees, the county wouldn’t function, at all,” said Tax Assessor Roslyn Smith.

But there’s a simmering controversy surrounding the way the money will be divvied up.

Two different raise options are being considered by the commission.

One is a 5-percent across the board pay raise for county workers — and the other is a dollar an hour raise for each employee.

District one commissioner Robert Harris favors the dollar-an-hour raise.

“I’m trying to help those guys who are out there working on the road in the 100 degree weather, who are making just $10 dollar an hour,” he said. “I’m looking out for those people that are doing the majority share of the work.”

Harris says the 5-percent-raise option favors the county’s highest paid employees — while the dollar-an-hour-raise — spreads the raise money evenly among county workers.

District five commissioner Dickson Farrior supports the 5-percent-pay raise option.

Farrior says that option includes a thousand dollar Christmas bonus for each worker — and it costs about $55,000 dollars less to pay for.

Lowndes County has just over a hundred employees.