The BOC has been entertaining the possibility of awarding a $15,000 a year or 25% pay raise to the Coos County HR Director Shari Jackson. One of the reasons given for this salary increase is that Jackson is doing work above and beyond what she expected when she replaced Mike Lehman. During a work session on “Salaries” held on October 28 commissioners Melissa Cribbins and John Sweet indicated that Jackson’s job description had changed and that she was now engaged in “labor negotiations”. After some push back from Bob Main a decision on whether to grant the pay raise was held over until after the election for a November 10 work session titled simply “Salary Review” although that meeting was ultimately cancelled on the grounds it had not been properly noticed.
“With something this controversial,” explained Cribbins, “we like to make sure the public is fully aware a work session is taking place.”
Since the board first undertook this matter in October the Coos Association of Deputies (CADS) and AFSCME, the union representing court house staff, have each written objecting to the board singling out one employee for a significant pay increase. Monday, the board is holding another work session titled “Job Descriptions” beginning at 9:30AM in Rm 121. This work session may have nothing to do with the HR pay raise but it may still be worth everyone’s time to attend.
Speaking of pay raises, the commissioners are going to consider another COLA increase for elected officials during the regular BOC meeting on Tuesday. The board approved a similar pay increase last year.
Also on the agenda is approval of the SCCF at large members. While the entire privatization concept of the CEP and SCCF is distasteful and deprives the County of badly needed revenue and should be done away with entirely, it should be noted that the South County has no representation on the SCCF board.
