Commission approves $1,200 pay bump, longevity and backpay adjustments for courthouse staff

Benton County commissioners on Aug. 17 approved multiple personnel-pay actions: a $1,200 gross salary increase for eligible full-time courthouse employees, a one-time longevity supplement of $50 per full-time year of service for eligible employees for FY2020-21, and appropriations to cover missed step raises and backpay.

The $1,200 increase (Resolution 20200817-05), recommended by the Benton County Budget Committee, was appropriated from the Unassigned Fund Balance at a cost of $53,951 and is effective the second pay period in September 2020. The commission also approved a onetime longevity payment (Resolution 20200817-06) funded with $30,788 and scheduled for separate checks in November 2020.

Separately, the commission approved Resolution 20200817-12 to appropriate $16,763.90 to cover backpay due three county employees for missed step raises; the resolution lists detailed line items across mayoral, court, and chancery accounts. Resolution 20200817-11 authorized a $1,190 correction for an omitted step raise in the Chancery Court budget; Commissioner Norman Frazier recorded a "yes with protest" on that vote. The minutes show one commissioner initially voted to Pass on Resolution 20200817-12 then changed to Aye before final adoption.

All measures were approved by roll call votes, and the minutes record that the salary changes are funded from the Unassigned Fund Balance. Details about which individual employees received backpay are not specified in the public minutes.