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LOCAL
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March 31 - April 6, 2016 • Page 5A
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operating officer, the anticipated
cost to implement the new proposal
is another $3 million. And because
the monies are not in the current
budget, they would have to come
out of the county’s savings.
Commissioner Jeff Rader
opposed the plan, saying, “This
is not informed adequately by the
pay and class study that we have
commissioned and are still awaiting
the results of.
“I have since learned apparently
that the pay increases that we
made for public safety have not
corrected the issue of promotion
disparity,” he said. “In spite of
the fact that there may be some
disparities that are currently in
place, we shouldn’t be making
further expenditures without the
benefit of the pay and class study
so that we can better understand
where the issues are.”
Commissioner Kathie Gannon
said she has several concerns.
“I agree that probably everyone
in this county, in terms of staff,
needs a pay increase,” Gannon
added. “But we also need to have
our pay classifications and our pay
ranges. We need to get our house
in order. Let’s put things in order
and review this and give everybody
an appropriate raise, not just across
the board, because some areas will
need more than others.”
Gannon also said she is
concerned about the county’s
savings account.
“It already went down in the last
budget, which I did not support,”
Gannon said.
Sutton responded, “If we have
over $28 million in reserves, which
is in savings, we can’t take $2
million out and make sure that the
employees are being paid what
they are due.
“We have to do a study to that?”
she asked.
Commissioners decided to defer
voting on the proposal for a month.
By then commissioners will have
received the long-awaited pay and
class study.
Commissioners also deferred
action on a resolution that would
set the minimum wage for county
employees, except those of other
elected county officers, at $10.10
per hour.
GOVERNMENT Continued From Page 1A
government is different across the
county.”
“There is a lot of enthusiasm
in north DeKalb and there is less
enthusiasm in south DeKalb,”
Holcomb said.
“For this to move forward there
really needs to be [support] from
across DeKalb,” Holcomb said.
“We need to continue to have a
conversation about the proposal,
what it means and why it would be
beneficial.
“There are many who believe
that our issues are not with the
structure of our government but
rather with the people who are
elected,” he said. “I’ll be the first to
agree that people absolutely matter,
but I have also learned...that the
structure matters, too, and I firmly
believe that we can change the
structure of our government in way
that can lead to better results.”
Holcomb said he tried to
get community support for his
proposed legislation by having town
hall meetings and engaging in a
transparent process.
“I was able to clearly explain
what the differences are between
our existing government and the
proposal in House Bill 1099,” he
said. “I don’t know that the same
was true for the Senate effort. I’m
not aware of any town halls that
were held or any other outreach
that were done.”
Millar said he is “disappointed”
that DeKalb’s form of government
won’t be changing soon.
“I think the sentiment that a
lot of people felt is that the CEO
position has not worked out pretty
well ever since [former county CEO]
Manual Maloof,” Millar said. “We’re
the only county that has that form
of government. I think a majority of
people where I live, certainly, and I
think throughout the entire county,
have had enough and are tired of
being embarrassed with the same
old gridlock.
“I think the General Assembly
is tired of DeKalb,” he said. “I think
the House certainly is. Every time
they turn around we’ve got another
situation. I know the governor is
certainly tired. The governor...came
out and said we need to abolish
the [CEO] position. That’s the only
reason I brought the bill, to be
honest with you.”
Millar said he will not bring the
bill forward again in the Senate
“until something happens over in
the House.”
“I’m not going to waste my
time,” he said. “The House
leadership indicated to me that they
...were going to move forward ...
and never did.
“They keep talking about the
charter commission,” Millar said.
“How many commissions can we
have in DeKalb? I think at this point
it’s rather ridiculous. I don’t think
people really are sincere about
trying to do anything about the form
of government.
“I think it’s all smoke and
mirrors and talk,” Millar said.
“They’re content...with being in
the newspaper every day. So
be it if people want to continue
being known as the county where
everybody is looking for corruption.”
Millar said DeKalb Republicans
helped Democrats get one of their
priorities passed, but Republicans
received nothing in return.
“We helped create a Democratic
city, Stonecrest, and yet the
Republican priority was to do away
with the CEO and we didn’t act on
it. And people wonder why Donald
Trump is so popular.”
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