70 % PAY RAISE UNJUSTIFIED & EXCESSIVE
The Blount County Commission has already recommended for approval on January 17, FINAL VOTE IS Thursday February 21, 7pm Rm 430 Historic Courthouse
The contemptuous abuse of new Commissioners and distracted voters by the Berrong/Mitchel administration almost passed this resolution in January but for some disgruntled employees who got to Chairman French the resolution had to remove the Sheriff’s 75% pay scale, and give all the employees
an increase from the 65% of market to 70%. The reason for the increase given by the Director for Human Resources was that the employment “market” is allegedly taking county employees with experience and proficiency away from our service and costing us more to train their replacement. I thought that was why we built a driving track and training facility with shooting range years ago was to make money training new hires and other Sheriff’s deputies.
I say UNJUSTIFIED because NOT ONE EXAMPLE OF HAVING REPLACED AN EMPLOYEE IS PRESENTED, IN FACT NO EVIDENCE OF HOW MANY EMPLOYEES HAVE DEPARTED FOR MORE PAY HAS BEEN GIVEN!!!
The unsubstantiated excessive pay increase if implemented AVERAGES $6,296 PER EMPLOYEE, for example the least amount of pay raise is pay grade 301 for $4098 while the at Mayor gets a raise of $12,357 for an total annual pay of $125,867.
Why do I claim the pay raise to be EXCESSIVE?
The per ca pita taxpayer income in (2017 dollars from 2013 to 2017) for Blount County was $28,334 compared compared to the present per ca pita income of County Employees is $42,129 or
$13,795 more that the taxpayer making almost 50% less. When we calculate the using the new proposed
pay scale the per ca pita income of County Employees is $48,425 a difference of $20,091 more that the
TAXPAYER IS EARNING 70 % LESS THAN THE PER CA PITA COUNTY EMPLOYEE .
Commissioner Akard, local business owner said in the January Commission “the proposal does a whole lot more than PAD OUR RE-ELECTION POSSIBILITIES”. While Commissioner Caylor, Maryville Fire Department Employee wished a lot of other Commissioners would object to Commissioner Akard’s statement that this pay raise is some how a Quid Pro Quo to get re-elected as WBCR AM 1470 General Manager Harry Grothjahn suggested in his Comments on Items on the agenda earlier in the meeting.
This modified 20 position Pay Scale and 19 Step compensation plan by Evergreen for 671 County employees including all elected officials “will be presented to the Commission in the form of a new resolution for approval” according to the “DRAFT Minutes” of January’s Commission Meeting will , Thursday February 21 at 7pm room 430.
You are welcome to do the math yourself. The FOIA request from the Blount County Human Resource Department for the current pay scale starts with Pay Grade 101 while the 70% of Market Pay Scale begins with 301. The current pay scale is from Exhibit 2A of the December 20, 2018 Draft Proposal.
Rank 60% 70% of Highest Competing Employers Pay Grades
Grade Present Proposed Inc./Emp. Employees/grade Total Cost Inc. Cost 70% Total Cost
in Grade
101/301 26,903 31,001 4,098 18 73,764 558,018
102/302 29,190 33,637 4,447 42 186,774 1,412,754
103/303 31,671 36,496 4,825 49 236,425 1,788,304
104/304 34,363 39,598 5,235 57 298,395 2,257,086
105/305 37,284 42,964 5,680 80 454,400 3,437,120
106/306 40,453 46,616 6,163 229 1,411,327 10,675,064
107/307 43,892 50,579 6,687 44 294,228 2,225,476
108/308 47,623 54,878 7,255 41 297,455 2,249,998
109/309 51,671 59,543 7,872 30 236,160 1,786,290
110/310 56,063 64,604 8,541 23 196,443 1,485,892
111/311 60,829 70,096 9,267 23 213,141 1,612,208
112/312 65,999 76,054 10,055 12 120,660 912,648
113/313 73,046 80,998 7,952 8 63,616 647,984
114/314 77,794 86,262 8,468 3 25,404 258,786
115/315 82,850 91,869 9,019 6 54,114 551,214
116/316 88,235 97,840 9,605 3 28,815 293,520
117/317 93,969 104,199 10,230 1 10,230 104,199
118/318 100,078 110,972 10,894 1 10,894 110,972
119/319 106,582 118,184 11,602 0
120/320 113,510 125,867 12,357 1 12,357 125,867
671 4,224,612 32,493,400
Average Employee Pay Raise Proposed is $6,296.