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Charlotte Board of Supervisors; Sheriff Responds to Chairman’s Remarks

   Written by on September 12, 2013 at 12:31 pm

The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday, September 10 for their regular meeting.

Garland Hamlett proposed a list of requirements for organizations requesting funds from the Board. He said “We have an obligation to the taxpayers for accountability and responsibility.”

Kevin Wright presented the VDOT report. Grass cutting is on schedule, being 50 to 75 percent complete. The new trash pickup program coordinated between VDOT and the jail is in progress and is moving along satisfactorily. Todd Bolling, also from VDOT, reported on the delays in the construction of the bridge between Charlotte Court House and Drakes Branch on Highway 47. The most recent delay was caused by an incorrectly poured parapet that had to be removed and repaired.  “We want a quality project, we are not going to settle for second best.” Bolling also explained the causes of the previous delays. The company that won the bid was new to bridge construction and won four projects. One in Cumberland has been completed, two in Pittsylvania County are “wrapping up,” leaving only the Charlotte County bridge. The company is in default on the contract and fines are being assessed. However, Bolling says, “The default process would take several months further delaying the process. The company is already committed to additional workers with a “corrective action plan to get back on track.”

On the discussion of recent raises for some county employees: The Virginia Compensation Board provided funds for all employees who are paid with funds from the Compensation board to receive a 3 percent raise based on their base salary. The Board gave a two percent raise to all county employees instead of 3 percent to Compensation board employees. In discussion last month, some board members believed leaving out some employees who are doing the same job as others would be bad for morale. However, some employees of the Sheriff’s office had apparently complained they should have received the full 3 percent paid for by the Compensation Board.

Charlotte Sheriff Thomas Jones addressed the board stating he believed the increased one percent should be given to all Comp Board employees not just those in the Sheriff’s Office. “If everyone isn’t getting it then we don’t want it.”

Chairman Nancy Carwile then stated: Thank you sheriff I appreciate that. What I heard was that we had illegally withheld money and I know that you’re responsible maybe not for the morale of everybody but for the morale of your officers and I want to make it clear here in the meeting that we did research it. Dave says it wasn’t clear but we do have clear information. What the legislature said when they passed what ever bill it was about the retirement was that 5% retirement could be done over 5 years or all at once and it was not extra money, that it was money we already had so it was simply a transfer from one acct to another. Unfortunately when we said that employees have to pay their retirement out of their own salary, it meant that taxes would be due on it. So we made a raise of 5% plus 6% more to cover the FICA and the taxes they would have to pay.

Another Supervisor corrected Carwile saying “point 6 percent not 6 percent”.

Carwile: .6 – Thank you. I’ve got it written down here so I’ll say it right and I still say it wrong. We did not use that money as an excuse to not raise….

Jones: Madam Chairman, if I could interrupt. I don’t know anything about this. I hadn’t heard any rumors about anything being said about anybody illegally doing anything…

Carwile: Well, I’m just…

Jones: And I’m not here today because of that. All I’m asking is that the 3% awarded to all constitutional officers plus Social Services be allowed to pass and be given to these employees. It’s state money, it’s not county money, it’s state money. But you do have the option of, you know, keeping part of it, whatever you want to do with it. But we had not had any raises for five years until the county did graciously did give us 3% last year. All county employees got the three percent and we appreciated that. In other jurisdictions, the same thing happened. We’ve always appreciated everything this board has done for us.

The only reason I’m here is we would appreciate it if we could get the full 3% that the General Assembly has awarded to us this year. I’m not asking anything from the County…

Carwile interrupted: Let me tell you what I’m asking. I’m not accusing you of anything…

Jones: I’m not saying you are accusing me of anything.

Carwile continued: I’m just asking you to clarify with, your employees anyway…

Jones: My employees have been clarified with Madam Chair. I had a staff meeting and discussed with my employees and told them the whole situation. Now I think you’re accusing me of something now too.  I don’t appreciate that.

Carwile: I’m not accusing you of anything. I mean, rumors get out.

Jones: It sounds like you are. I didn’t come here to argue with you Madam Chair. I came here on business. If you want to argue with me, I’ll come to your house or you can come by my office..

Carwile: So you’re saying that you have already clarified with them.

Jones: Yes Ma’m.

Carwile: Fair enough. I appreciate that.

Jones: And the rumor you indicated in an email I read, I’ve talked to that individual and he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.

Carwile: Well… That’s what came.

Jones: I just came here to discuss business and try to handle it in an orderly manner. I didn’t come here to argue with anybody. I came here to thank y’all for what you have done for us in the past. And if you could work with us on this situation, I would appreciate that. That’s all I’m asking. I did want you to know that I want it to include everybody. If you can’t give it to all the other constitutional officers, we don’t want it.

Carwile: I understand what you’re asking.

Jones: Any other questions.

 

 

The board then voted unanimously to approve the additional 1 percent excluding non-Compensation Board employees.

A grant to pay the salary of an additional school resource officer was not approved. Following discussion the board agreed to fund the officer using funds returned to the county by the school system last year. The board approved the funding with several members questioning, “How many times are they going to spend that money?” The approval gives the schools a total of three resource officers.

County Treasurer Patricia Berkeley presented the board with a monthly financial report. The monthly report will be included in the Supervisors Board packages in the future.

No vote was held following a motion made and seconded to adjourn the meeting however the meeting apparently ended.

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