Monday, January 08, 2007

in case you missed it: taxpayer funded salary overview...

from the december 26 print edition of the herald-gazette:

With property taxes going up, a good part of government budgets is salaries. Here is a breakdown of the salaries for top-level government officials in the Lamar County board of education, Lamar County, Barnesville and Milner.
Board of education
Board of education chairman Susan Byars gets a stipend of $250 per meeting with a maximum set at three a month. This means the chairman’s salary is capped at $9,000 a year. Other board members, Ron Smith, Horace Hightower and Sue O’Neal, receive $200 a meeting for a maximum of $7,200 a year. Incoming board member Ryan Christopher will make the same amount.
The board usually has one meeting a month, but budget and other local workshops, state and regional conferences and other such meetings also count.
Board members are also paid travel expenses based on amount spent.
As far as school administrative positions, topping the list is superintendent Dr. Bill Truby at $117,000 a year.
There are several directors for different departments. Robert Wright, the head of personnel and professional learning makes $82,417.16. Norma Greenwood, director of instruction, curriculum and federal programs, draws $80,788.42. Technology director Dale Royal, now working part time, makes $32,522.37.
Head of student services Dr. Terrence Mermann earns $90,995.26. Finance director Deborah Johnston makes $55,080. Bill Baker, the plant operations head, makes $45,026. Dr. William Bell, part time administrative assistant for transportation, makes $16,500. Nicole James, the school nutrition director, makes $36,414.
On the school level, primary school principal Julie Steels makes $70,387.84, elementary school principal Andrea Scandrett makes $78,872.89, middle school principal Diane Harvey make $83,545.89 and high school principal Charles Bonner draws $86,882.26.
Primary assistant principal Mark Davis makes $59,373.16, elementary assistant principal Dr. Todd Shipp makes $73,704.16, middle school assistant principal Anita Mathis makes $59,353.42, high school assistant principal Laura Standard draws $66,706.42 and high school assistant principal Abdur Hassan makes $70,731.95.
Also at the high school, athletic director and head coach Calvin Scandrett earns $71,867.79.
Lamar County
Lamar County commission chairman Bobby Burnette and, beginning next week, new chairman Jay Matthews, make $5,945.58 a year. Commissioners Benny Horton, George Brown and Ray Brinkley earn $5,284.99 and commissioner Gene Hardwick gets $5,284 even.
The county clerk administrator position, currently vacant, has a salary of $48,200.
Tax commissioner and ex-officio voter registrar Geraldine Pippin pulls in $58,053.34 while chief tax appraiser Linda Mayo’s salary is $55,000. Chief voter registrar Bobbie Burnette makes $11,616.92.
Building and zoning administrator Dan Gunter makes $37,215.63 while clerk of superior and juvenile courts Frank Abbott pulls in $71,588.82. Probate court judge and elections superintendent Kathy Martin earns $56,032.88 and magistrate judge William Thomas makes $40,203.48.
Sheriff Joe Buice makes $56,354.50 and coroner Jim Smith is paid $2,774.69 for his part time position.
Longtime public works director John Walker makes $41,450.69, recreation director John Gilbert earns $38,059.20, fire chief Steve Andrews makes $8,931.83 (also a part time position) and Lamar County Senior Center director Marcia Johnston-Clark earns $23,629.07. Emergency Management director Billy Campbell, who also has a part time position, makes $8,931.83.
“Some of these salaries are mandated, especially the constitutional officers,” said county clerk Doreen Eidmann.
Commissioners will receive a $100 expense raise in January and the chairman will receive $50 extra.
“We’re the lowest paid commissioners in the state,” said outgoing chairman Bobby Burnette.
City of Barnesville
Barnesville mayor Dewaine Bell makes an annual salary of $2,400 while mayor pro tem Lynn Wilson makes $1,800 for his government services. Both salaries are augmented with expense accounts of $3,600, making the total for mayor $6,000 and mayor pro tem $5,400.
Council members Annie Mae Harris, Anne Claxton, Sammy Shropshire and Cecil D. McDaniel Sr. make $1,500 a year with expenses of $3,300 for a total of $4,800.
City manager Kenneth D. Roberts' salary is $93,831 a year, followed by city clerk Carolyn S. Parker, police chief Chuck Keadle, fire chief Steve Andrews and water and public works superintendent Jason Shirey pulling in $48,106 each.
Electrical superintendent John McCarty makes $48,318; civic center/pool manager Ron Patrick "Buddy” Lanier brings in $37,581; recycling superintendent Larry Johnson makes $46,925 and zoning administrator David Rose pulls in $45,774
City judge Franklin Freeman makes $8,000 a year and J. Kristi Rowell, the city solicitor, or prosecutor, pulls in $12,000.
City of Milner
As the smallest government entity in Lamar County that takes in property taxes, Milner also has the lowest salaries for its elected officials and administrators.
Milner mayor Joe Bostwick makes $1,000 a year while council members George Weldon, Frances Manry, Wayne Evans and Fred Stephens make $300 a year. Their income is based on attendance at council meetings.
City clerk Jessica English makes $7,800 and city administrator Harold Wilson will make $14,000 a year as of Jan. 1, 2007. Police chief Brad White was recently given a salary of $36,000 a year. Other workers have part time hourly positions that pay just over minimum wage, with a police officer’s cap at $20,800 a year.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least we now know why K-12 education is so poor. Top heavy overpaid administration.

Anonymous said...

Just goes to show (edited by the writer). How about the IDA members. How much does KR get on top of his 94K job to do nothing on the IDA?

Anonymous said...

IDA members receive no pay whatsoever. Strictly voluntary.

Anonymous said...

Under the table

Anonymous said...

Why is the City Manager paid more than the Tax Collector, the Sheriff and many other equally responsible positions. I guess the Tax Payers just get to bear the burdens.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the County was getting a bargain in their county administrator, bet they won't get nobody else for that little and put in as many hours as she did for no more pay and then the county turned on her. Bet they won't get a County Manager for that and according to the budget they didn't put anymore in there to hire one either. Sure don't need the one that's filling in to be in charge the county will be in a worse mess.

Anonymous said...

They certainly do not. Does anyone else see a problem with this?

Anonymous said...

The pool manager makes more than law enforcement.....thats terrible!

Anonymous said...

May be if we paid the police more the city could afford to hire guys who are not complete arigant jerks. I have always said if you pay a guy 6 bucks an hour and give him athourity they will be jerk and thats what we have in this town.

Anonymous said...

Its usually the people who's name shows up in the paper under police report who say that law enforcement are jerks!! Thats funny to me!!

Anonymous said...

They risk their lives everyday and they are the lowest paid on that list. I see a problem with that!