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Fayette County commissioners deny judges' request for locality pay under HB 85
Summary
After testimony from Griffin Judicial Circuit judges, the Fayette County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to deny adopting locality pay under House Bill 85, citing budget priorities and concern for taxpayers.
County judges and court officials asked the Fayette County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 8 to approve locality pay created under House Bill 85, saying the change would equalize compensation and enable retired judges to participate in a senior-judge program without reducing retirement benefits.
Chief Judge Scott Ballard, speaking for judges in the Griffin Judicial Circuit, told commissioners the locality pay would be cheaper for the county than the supplemental payments historically used to top up judicial salaries and argued the change would address statewide inconsistencies in judge compensation. Ballard asked the board to consider the request separately from any intergovernmental cost-sharing agreement with other counties.
Commissioner Eric Maxwell urged approval, noting the emotional and professional strain judges face and calling the request reasonable. Commissioner Maxwell moved to approve locality pay in full; the motion failed on a 2-3 vote. Vice Chairman Edward Gibbons, Commissioner Charles W. Oddo and Commissioner Charles D. Rousseau voted against supporting locality pay. After further discussion, Commissioner Oddo moved to deny the request; that motion passed 3-2.
County officials had described locality pay as the state’s mechanism under HB 85 to harmonize judge pay across circuits. Judges said locality pay would be roughly $20,000 per judge compared with supplemental payments of about $50,000 per judge, and they asked the county to approve the locality-pay option so the circuit could continue to offer incentives for retired judges who serve as substitutes. The judges and county staff said the requested costs could be accommodated within the current budget for FY2026 but disputed whether the county should assume the ongoing local share.
Chairman Lee Hearn and Commissioner Maxwell both said they respected the judges and favored approving the pay, but the majority of the board said the county should reserve funds for other priorities and maintain consistency with prior votes. County Attorney Dennis Davenport asked for an affirmative recorded action to perfect the record after the vote.
The board’s denial leaves the Griffin Judicial Circuit without Fayette County’s formal approval of locality pay; commissioners said they were open to further discussion but will not adopt locality pay as requested at this meeting.
What’s next: The judges asked for a separate decision from intergovernmental agreements; the county’s vote means any change would require a future board action or a different intergovernmental arrangement.
