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Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 7 p.m.
Courthouse, Main Courtroom, 16001 Barnesville Street, Zebulon, Georgia
Commissioners Tim Guy, Tim Daniel, Jason Proctor, and James Jenkins were present at the meeting along with Chairman Briar Johnson, County Clerk Angela Blount, County Manager (CM) Brandon Rogers by phone after the executive session, and County Attorney Rob Morton.
[Note from the Editor: There were many citizens in the audience at this special called meeting. It appeared that several may have been there in support of the county manager who was not able to attend the meeting in person.]
1. CALL TO ORDER ..... Chairman Briar Johnson
2. INVOCATION ..... Silent Invocation
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ..... Chairman Briar Johnson
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA - (O.C.G A. 50-14-1 (e) (1))
Rob Morton requested an Executive Session for discussion or deliberation on the appointment, employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or periodic evaluation or rating of a public officer or employee or interviewing applicants for the position of the executive head of an agency germane to the administrative department. He asked that it be before New Business. Motion to approve. Approved 5-0.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion to go into Executive Session. 7:02 p.m.
Back into session. 7:34 p.m.
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion and possible third reading and approval of budget for FY 2022-2023.
Commissioner Tim Daniel said that I think we’re ready to adopt the budget. He asked County Attorney Rob Morton if there was anything he needed to add to the motion. Morton asked that the Board entertain a motion to approve the budget with the stipulation that the salary of the county manager remain at the current amount until after the evaluation has been completed and a contract is reached with the county manager.
Discussion. Commissioner Daniel said that there is $5,000 budgeted if we so choose after the evaluation is done and the contract is reached. Attorney Morton said that was not his motion but that he was articulating the motion.
Commissioner James Jenkins asked for the amount that the budget is increasing. It was noted that the Board had a budget but didn’t have a cover page. Commissioner Jenkins asked for the grand total overall that taxpayers were paying for. Clerk Angela Blount called CM Rogers on the phone.
He advised that the prior year's budget was $16,779,961.05 and that this year's budget is $18,616.622.00. Commissioner Jenkins stated that this is a $2 million increase with an extra $400,000 for the ambulance contract that puts this at a $1.6 million increase. Chairman Briar Johnson said that this is a $1.8 million increase that includes $400,000 for the ambulance increase and the pay for the start of a partially paid Fire Department.
County Manager Rogers said that when comparing these budgets, you must account for special funds like SPLOST that will throw numbers off. Special funds don’t affect the mileage rate. If the funds are available, you can do the project but not if you don’t.
Chairman Johnson said that this would have been better if we had communicated this before tonight when we have to approve this in less than a week. He said that he was not putting that off on you or us, but as a team, we should have discussed this a couple of weeks ago.
Motion to approve with the stipulation that the county manager's pay will remain at its current level until after the evaluation is completed and a contract is reached with the county manager. 4-1 with Jenkins opposed.
CM Rogers asked for the condition and was advised that his salary stays as is until after the evaluations are complete and a contract is reached.
[Note from the Editor: Thank you to the Board for holding off on the $5,000 raise until after the evaluation process is complete. I sincerely hope that the Board is discussing how to make sure that CM Rogers is able to receive IN PERSON training that he needs to do his job well -- like managing people well including listening to their concerns, working as part of a team, and speaking to and treating people in the same manner that he expects to be spoken to and treated -- if the Board is going to continue his employment here in the county. Our employees, department heads, and constitutional officers deserve better treatment than many have received up to this point. Pike County Times will report the results of the completed evaluations when the process is complete, and the evaluations become public record.]
Motion to adjourn. 7:47 p.m.
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