Spencer County Fiscal Court approves countywide pay increases and hires animal control officer

Spencer County Judge Executive John Riley and the Fiscal Court on Jan. 21 approved a package of revised employee pay rates that sets a new county minimum hourly rate for current employees at $14.50 and raises the minimum starting hourly rate for new hires to $14.50, with road-department new hires set at a minimum starting rate of $18.00.

The court voted on the pay-rate motion after returning from an executive session called under Kentucky law. The motion to approve the revised pay rates passed with 'nays' recorded from Esq. Travis and Esq. M. Moody and 'ayes' from Esq. Brewer, Esq. Beaverson and Judge Riley; Esq. J. Moody was absent. The court later voted to make the pay-rate increases effective Jan. 22, 2022 (ayes: Judge Riley, Esq. Travis and Esq. Brewer; nays: Esq. M. Moody and Esq. Beaverson).

Court minutes and a detailed pay schedule presented to the court show specific adjustments affecting multiple departments. The minutes state five current employees were making less than $14.50 and would be increased to $14.50. For the road department the minutes state four current employees were making less than $18.00; the document shows those four positions moving to $21.00 per hour. The pay table included numerous EMS wage adjustments and listed an EMS/EM director salary figure that appears in one place as $67,950 and in the presented table as $66,950 (with a proposed increase to $69,450). The minutes do not reconcile that discrepancy; both figures are recorded in the meeting materials.

Judge Riley presented competing estimates of the annual budget impact of different pay plans: his plan was recorded as increasing annual payroll by $202,678; Tim Brewer's plan by $184,687; and Jim Travis's plan by $186,000.

Separately, the court considered background material on a proposed insurance-premium tax and the repeal of an AT&T landline surcharge. Following discussion, Esq. Brewer moved to remove those items from the agenda; the motion passed by roll call (all present voting aye; Esq. J. Moody absent).

Judge Riley also recommended hiring Rachel Showalter for an Animal Control Officer vacancy and proposed an offer of $16.00 per hour subject to a drug screen and background check and approval by Esq. M. Moody and Esq. Brewer. Mr. Wilkerson, asked whether the proposed rate was fair, said he felt it was "adequate, for somebody coming off the street." The court voted to hire Showalter by roll call (ayes: Esq. Brewer, Esq. M. Moody, Esq. Beaverson, Judge Riley and Esq. Travis; Esq. J. Moody absent).

The meeting record shows the court adjourned at 7:00 p.m. The minutes note that executive-session discussion covered pending litigation and personnel matters but do not include substantive details from the closed session.