Comments on: Mayor Under Fire For Granting Time Off, Pay Raises Without Approval

By: Erdis Davis

Erdis Davis — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 18:34:05 +0000

Okay let’s bring all concerned and inquiring minds up-to-date. First of all the fine people who work in City Hall are doing a fine job. I don’t think anyone would argue that. If you come in there they will go out of their way to help you anyway they can. It’s $0.53 what’s the complaint about , it’s long overdue. The job of a Mayor is to see a need and fill it ,especially for people he depends on to get his job done , so all that being said somebody needs to get a hobby but let The Mayor do his job and let the wonderful staff continue to do theirs. Are we clear? Thank you and have a safe and pleasant evening. God Bless America …God bless century! P.s. however , just an FYI Mr. Mayor, In the future I would consult with my council members prior to doing such actions, just a thought

By: Cheryl Denise Cole

Cheryl Denise Cole — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 01:13:50 +0000

let the man do his job.already geez

By: Nod

Nod — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 03:21:05 +0000

So as long as he is trying to do the right thing it does not matter how he goes about it.

By: Work together

Work together — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 22:08:35 +0000

The mayor don’t think he’s above the law ,helping the employees is above the law? He may have went about it the wrong way , maybe he thought his fellow council members wouldn’t be against him doing the right thing, it’s a shame the council couldn’t discuss that among themselves before there meeting, they need more young people in their, some can’t see past the 60s new ideas can help the people and Budgets ,first start with your own employees, their a lots of ways to bring in money to the city I’ll share it with them, if that way another council man idea that wouldn’t been a problem it’s good that happen now he get to see who’s against him. Good luck keep trying

By: nod

nod — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 17:27:18 +0000

Why do so many of you support a person that thinks town laws do not apply to him. Give the workers a pay raise but do it right. We do not need a mayor that thinks he is above the law. Most of you missed the whole point of the story.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:25:01 +0000

REGARDING:
“Allow. Me to ANSWER to the ” TIME OFF TO WASH THEIR UNIFORMS” tongue in cheek comment…”

You left out the critical part of the note, “their OWN”.
Chris wasn’t complaining about their clothes being dirty but commenting on the fact that doing laundry unpaid in their own machines on their own time in their own homes had been added to their lives — a benefit of their jobs they had prior to the change and under which they had been hired.

This may not have been good for morale.

David for clean shirts and shirt cleaners

By: Retired

Retired — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 00:31:28 +0000

@Lea
You are absolutely right!!
Let’s hear it for the town employees. I could list them one by one but do not want to leave anyone out.
I hope our town can thrive and offer raises and promotion across the board, but it does have to be in line with the town charter or the council has no other choice really, I think.

I am not sure why they are not filling the street department position, it seems there must be work that need to be done at that level. I suppose, what the Mayor came up with can be brought before the council and voted on.

By: Lea

Lea — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 13:52:57 +0000

Allow. Me to ANSWER to the ” TIME OFF TO WASH THEIR UNIFORMS” tongue in cheek comment…
What you are seeing on these employees is called WORK !
It’s Ground in STAINS from street, red dirt, water main breaks and SWEAT.. They have been waiting on new UNIFORMS now for quite a while ( upon approval of the CITY COUNCIL).. These guys BUST their Butts DAILY keeping your water on ,Streets and parks clean ,and they do it with LITTLE TO NO THANKS from the public.
When the tornado hit WHERE do you think these guys were? They were already gearing up ready to clear YOUR HOMES and streets from downed trees and debris BEFORE ANYONE had called them to come to work… Again No atta boys there..
So before you Pass judgment on what YOU THINK these employees are doing on a daily basis , perhaps you should request a ride along and DO EXACTLY the same thing they do
Within a work day which I might add, DOES NOT ALWAYS end at 330…Pehaps while strolling through our quaint little town, you come upon a town employee , Try a THANK YOU once in a while instead of ridicule. Otherwise Go apply and take a street position if you think you could do it better ..

By: Mike Amerson

Mike Amerson — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 11:23:11 +0000

Here’s my two cents. While working all my years with Esc’ Co’, I never worked with a department that done a dollar amount across the board raise. They always done what they would call an “across the board raise”, but done it in a % amount. I never agreed with this and I’ll explain. If you give a 10% across the board raise to two different employees with one making 15K a year, that employee would get an extra 1500.00 a year. Within that same department, another employee making 45K a year would receive an extra 4500.00 a year. Now if you take the Sheriffs Office for a very good example and multiply that by the amount of employees it has, you’re talking a lot of money for one year of “across the board raises”. If you take those same two employees under the new Mayors guidelines, both would get a 1102.40 [combined 2204.80] per year raise in lieu of a combined total from the “across the board” raise above of 6000.00. Now it kind of gives you an idea of how much the Tax Payers foot this long standing way of giving out raises and why the budgets are always so high for departments such as the Sheriffs Office. A common employee working for let’s say Jane Doe’s Construction Co’ would be grateful for a .53 cent per hour raise but would be even happier at a 10%. The only problem is the regular owner of that company doesn’t have the check book that the Co’ does with the Tax Payers footing the bill. This is just a simple way at looking at raises and the difference of one with a budget such as the construction co’ owner and county and state politics in regards to raises. To sum it up, my hat is off to the new Mayor for his way of thinking and keep up the good work. I’m sure that some of the old Mayor’s friends/family were in attendance at the Public meeting just to try and make you look bad. Keep looking past them into what you want to accomplish and keep trying to take care of your employees like you are. In turn, those same employees will take care of your town and citizens with more pride. Mike Amerson

By: voter

voter — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 02:37:40 +0000

So how can we get these employees a raise? And other council members why did you not speak up, you’ve been there a long time…leave it for the new guy?? You better hope he gets elected..only one with the guts to do the right thing.
Is this karma for Hawkings councilmen days…