Residents Frederic Conjour and Dennis Chalker waited more than two hours on Friday to voice their opposition to a proposal to increase the base salary of the Chatham County Commissioners and chairman.
Their patience was in vain, however.
The first reading of the amendment was held with no discussion, and no opportunity for public comment was given.
Afterward, commissioners said comments would be permitted at the next meeting, when the second reading is held prior to the amendment’s adoption.
The proposal would increase the base salary for commissioners by 44 percent to $25,000 and the chairman’s by 15 percent to $57,500.
After Friday’s meeting, Conjour said there is no justification for the increase.
“In today’s economy, a 40 percent raise is pretty nice,” he said.
Chalker said he is a retired sheriff’s office employee and his county employment pay has only been increased twice during the past six and a half years. That was to offset an increase in medical costs. No such increase is on tap for this coming year, when his premiums are set to go up again, he said.
Salary increases for commissioners can only be considered at the end of the commission’s four-year term.
If approved, the increase will be implemented when the next term starts in January, when five incumbents and four new commissioners take their seats.
The last time the commission’s base salary was increased was 2001, although commissioners have received a 2.5 percent longevity pay increase for each new term.
Outgoing Chairman Pete Liakakis said the increases are warranted due to the amount of time commissioners spend representing their constituents, which includes events outside of the two board meetings each month. The pay hikes were based on the recommendations of a consulting firm’s compensation study.
“They had recommended that after looking at a number of other commissions from around the state,” Liakakis said.
In other actions, commissioners:
• Approved hiring two temporary caretakers for Animal Control’s shelter at a cost of $14,400 to address cleanliness and sanitation issues there. Approval of the temporary workers comes after the shelter failed several state inspections and was criticized by its former veterinarian and an animal behavior scientist who volunteered there.
The commission has also approved the hiring of a half-time shelter veterinarian for $30,000 a year.
The shelter passed its most recent inspection on Monday by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which came after multiple complaints were filed.
• Approved the creation of 34 new positions for the new holding tower at the detention center at an estimated cost of about $2.5 million a year.