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County employees address court

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Albany News

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County elected officials continued to work on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, spending part of Monday afternoon going through the line items prepared by county treasurer Tammy Brown.

During a three-hour session that morning, the commissioners heard from several county employees who asked that funding from the American Rescue Plan Act be used to supplement workers’ pay.

Officials also renewed the county’s half of an annual membership to provide air ambulance service for county residents, approved an agreement for Courthouse maintenance, and reviewed a change order for a completed contract on the Caldwell Lane bridge project.

Premium Pay

Several members of the sheriff’s department and a couple from the Courthouse staff spoke to the elected officials on the subject of how $650,000 in “rescue funds” should be spent.

Most felt that a good portion of the ARPA funding should be allocated in “retrospective and prospective” pay for the county’s essential workers who “kept the county running” during COVID.

“Other counties got paid time off,” said Cathy Rupp. “In my mind, there is no other project that’s a higher priority than your people; they’re critical, and they’re suffering.”

She presented some documents from the U.S. Department of Treasury outlining how “premium pay” for employees could be distributed.

However, county judge Robert Skelton said later in the meeting that Texas law prohibits “retroactive pay,” and that the county’s legal counsel has advised against that despite what some other counties have done.

“I have always thought I would want to do something (for employees), but it wasn’t always clear what the guidelines were to spend those funds,” said Skelton.

In a July 2021 Albany News article, just weeks after the first half of the county’s allocation was received, Skelton proposed that the commissioners consider using ARPA funds to give county employees a pay increase in the next budget, but with the “rules” still unclear until after the first of this year, no action was taken in the current budget.

Repeated mention of the possibility has come up in subsequent meetings and during budget workshops this summer, but so far, no action has been taken because the 2022-23 budget has not been finalized.

“We can look at certain types of premium pay, and we can use this money for infrastructure,” said Skelton. “I don’t see why the two things can’t go together. We hear your concerns.”

Other Business

•After moving forward with a bid proposal from CM3 Construction at the last meeting, the commissioners reviewed revisions in the contract this week, but opted to table the agreement until some questions can be answered.

•The county’s $12,000 share of an agreement with AirMedCare Network was approved, with the hospital district expected to pay the other half of the annual membership fee providing county residents with air ambulance transport.

•Commissioners discussed a requested change order from Morales Concrete after completion of repair under a CR 179 bridge. Morales bid $70,800 on the project in November 2021, but said concrete prices had increased by 25 percent since then. A motion passed to pay the original bid price for now, with commissioners asking for more documentation.

•Purchase of a Bobcat skid steer for $71,532 was approved to replace Pct. 3 equipment that burned earlier this summer.

•Skelton reported that Cary Services had not found a leak in the “chiller” unit that had not been working for several weeks, but had cleaned it out, filled it with freon, and put it back in service until further notice.

•Jail administrator Arla Jarvis was recognized by sheriff Ed Miller for her recent efforts in completing training with the Correctional Management Institute of Texas.

•Commissioners decided to pass on an application for a Feral Hog Grant after hearing a report from extension agent Kelsey Bell, who polled local landowners.