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Putnam County commissioners send proposal on pay increases to rules committee after debate
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Summary
Commissioners discussed multiple options for changing commissioner pay, including a $300 monthly raise and tying pay to the county mayor’s salary at 6%. The commission referred the matter to the rules committee for further study and recommendation.
Putnam County commissioners debated proposals to raise commissioner pay and voted to refer the matter to the rules committee for study and a recommendation.
Commissioner David Gentry introduced a motion proposing a $300 monthly pay increase and said the change would include insurance for those who need it. "Maybe a $300 a month raise with insurance to the people that would need it on the commission," Gentry said, noting the commission has not had a raise in 19 years.
The motion initially failed for lack of a second. Commissioner Hall then offered an amendment to tie commissioners’ pay to a percentage of the county mayor’s salary, proposing 6 percent. Hall described the benefit of an automatic, percentage-based approach: "It would save the embarrassment and problems that might come up in the future. And it might bring people to the job that normally wouldn't try to attain this position." Commissioner Reel seconded the amendment.
Commissioner Jeff Rogers cited state law, Tennessee Code Annotated §5-5-107, noting any increase in compensation cannot take effect during the current term and would apply starting with the next commission. "Any increase in compensation can't occur during the term, so it would have to start the next term," Rogers said.
Other commissioners raised procedural and structural questions: whether pay is currently tied to attendance at a standing committee and the full commission (currently paid as two meeting fees), how to split a percentage-based amount between committee and full-commission payments, and which committee should consider the issue. Commissioners Williams and Bennett said the matter should go to the rules committee for further work; Bennett voted against the measures on the floor so the commission could refer the issue.
Commissioner Hall withdrew his amendment; the body then approved an amendment to refer the matter to the rules committee for follow-up and recommendation. The commission voted in favor of the referral. The referral means any future pay change would be studied by the rules committee and any enacted increase would not take effect until after the next commission’s term, per state law cited at the meeting.
The meeting transcript records examples of comparisons used in debate: Hall cited Wilson County’s commissioner pay and population as context for the proposed percentage, and commissioners discussed that current commissioners draw two meeting fees (one for a standing committee and one for the full commission). The discussion did not result in a concrete pay change at the meeting.
