The Putnam County Commissioners will consider a raise for future commissions during the next several months after a vote Monday night.
Commissioner David Gentry proposed a $300 raise to a monthly salary of $700 for commissioners. He said it had been 19 years without an increase.
“The department heads, they all get generous raises every year,” Gentry said. “County employees get good raises every year. So I think it’s time for us to do a little catching up.”
Multiple Commissioners said they believed the rules committee should consider any change to commission pay before the entire body voted on the idea. State law prohibits commissioners giving themselves a raise, meaning any increase would not go into effect until 2026 when a new body is elected.
Gentry said he used the Wilson County Commission for comparison, where the pay stands at $857 per month. Wilson County is bigger than Putnam County. Gentry also suggested insurance for those commissioners who needed it.
Commissioner Ken Hall said he would rather avoid the embarrassment of discussing a pay raise, by tying the commission’s pay to that of the county mayor. Hall suggested commissioners receive six percent of the mayor’s pay. If he received a raise, the commissioners would see an increase when a new board is elected every four years.
“It would save the embarrassment and problems that might come up in the future,” Hall said. “And it might bring people to the job that normally wouldn’t try to attain this position.”
Hall said if a commissioner does the job correctly, it really becomes a full time job.
Commissioners voted to study the idea inside the Rules Committee during the next several months and bring it before the full commission. Williams said the discussion is long overdue.
“I don’t know that we’re ready to make a firm decision, but I do like that we do need to continue this discussion so that we can come up with an agreeable answer,” Commissioner Jonathan Williams said.
Commissioners accepted the resignation of Commissioner A.J. Donadio Monday night. Donadio moved out of the seventh district and can no longer represent that part of the community.
County Attorney Jeff Jones said the Commission has 120 days to fill the vacancy. Jones said commissioners could consider the opening at its September meeting.
The County Clerk will first send a written notice to commissioners before the chair sends notice to the local newspaper advertising the opening to anyone interested.
Commissioners amended its resolution approving the State Attorney General to pursue settlements with pharmaceutical producers involved in opioids. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said the state continues to come to agreements with drug companies. State officials asked counties to amend the resolution to accept future agreements, beyond the original Purdue deal.