As Franklin County Revenue Commissioner Stratt Byars addressed the Franklin County Commission at its November 14th work session, he began and concluded his words by thanking the commission for the $1 per hour it recently approved for all county employees.
Byars also said he had no issue with the additional $1 per hour raise for Franklin County Sheriff's Office and Jail employees that commissioners approved in October.
After clarifying those points, Byars turned to the reasons he asked to be on the work session agenda. 16 reasons, to be exact—the number of full-time employees in the Franklin County Revenue Commissioner's Office.
“I'd like to say I'm for funding law enforcement,” Byars said. “I'm not taking anything from the deputies or jail employees. But tonight I'm here for the Revenue Commissioner's Office. We have hardworking, dedicated employees in the Revenue Commissioner's Office and I believe they deserve that additional $1 per hour raise also, so I'm asking you to carry it over to all county employees.
The fair and right thing to do is to treat everyone the same. I'm asking the commission to reconsider that second dollar an hour raise and apply it to all county employees. These are tough times for everyone, with prices going up on groceries, gas, rent, mortgages, utilities, insurance and so on. I'm here standing up for the Revenue Commissioner's Office but I'm sure other department heads would like for their employees to have another $1 raise as well,” Byars added.
Byars said he spoke with Franklin County Probate Judge Barry Moore and each commissioner prior to the work session to make them aware of the request he would be making.
The additional $1 per hour raise for Sheriff's Office and jail employees was an effort by commissioners to make law enforcement jobs with Franklin County more competitive.
“The commission feels this will help in recruiting and maintaining employees and help reduce turnover in the department,” Moore said.
On most monthly business meeting agendas, there are multiple personnel moves in the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
For example, the November 14, 2022, agenda includes three personnel items for the Sheriff's Office, termination of a Corrections Officer/Dispatcher, promotion of a deputy and the hiring of a permanent Sheriff's Office Clerk.
That agenda has one item under the Revenue Commissioner's Office, described as 'Budget amendments,' the same description that appeared on the work session agenda.
Commissioners could approve, reject or table Byars' request and consider it at a later time.
At Monday's work session, Moore explained some additional benefits received by county employees in addition to the $1 per hour raise that began October 1, 2022. As part of its FY 2022-23 budget, the 6.4% increase in health insurance premiums for county employees was absorbed by the county and not passed on to employees.
“Starting in the 2008-09 budget year, there was no health insurance increase. In 2009-10, there was a 10% increase. In 2010-11 a 3.2%, in 2011-12 no increase, in 2012-13 no increase, in 2013-14 a 5% increase, no increase in 2014-15, in 2015-16 a 7.8% increase, in 2016-17 a 4% increase, in 2017-18 a 1.5% increase, in 2018-19 a 5% increase, in 2019-20 a 4.9% increase, in 2021-22 a 5.9% increase and a 6.4% increase in 2022-23,” Moore said.
“So you see how much insurance costs have increased and it's something we've always absorbed. We've never passed it on to our employees,” Moore explained.
As an example, Moore said a $16/hour employee would have a gross salary of $33,280. With single coverage insurance, retirement, life insurance (a $15,000 policy per employee) and FICA, the $33,280 turns into $45,493 with benefits.
“With that salary and all the benefits the county commission pays, that adds up over a period of time. When we absorb insurance increases, that has a domino effect,” Moore said. “We try to be conservative, good stewards of taxpayer money and every time we do a budget, we plan ahead and try to be conservative so we can have a good budget.
“We are fortunate to be able to do the things we do because of conservative budgeting. We don't want to put ourselves out on a limb and have to come back and cut something. Then the media and taxpayers will ask us why we're having to do this,” he added.
District Four Commissioner David Hester said the Sheriff's Office goes through 'a lot more employees' than any other department.
“In past years we'd hire someone, put them through training, they'd start working and we'd lose them in two or three years to other sectors. We want to encourage them to stay with us in Franklin County and not take other obs. They go through a lot of other stuff and risk their lives every day,” Hester said.
Byars, a former County Commissioner, said he understands the hiring and retention problems with the Sheriff's Office, but said it's not a unique problem to that department.
“The Sheriff's Office has seen terrible hiring and retention problems. Through the years, so has the Highway Department and the Solid Waste Department. I agree about the (additional) $1 to the Sheriff's Office but I believe everyone else deserves that dollar too,” Byars said.
In the current fiscal year, Byars said more than $17 million will pass through the Revenue Commissioner's Office, representing approximately 59 percent of the Franklin County General Fund.
“The Revenue Commissioner's department does their best to do their part,” Byars said. “The general fund budget (for the Revenue Commissioner's Office) was cut $37,000 from 2022-23. Looking ahead to the Reappraisal budget next year, it could be up to $250,000 less than it is this year. We do all we can to help save money. This year we're sending record dollars over here to the county commission. We're sending about $263,000 more this year than last.
“The right and fair thing to do would have been to give everybody that raise. Again, I'm not taking issue with the Sheriff's Office. They needed more, but so does everyone else. That's why I'm here asking you to make the additional $1 an across-the-board raise for everyone,” Byars added.
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