Whitley Judge-Executive refuses mandatory raise, gives money back to county

Earlier this year, the Whitley County Fiscal Court opted not to increase the judge-executive and jailer’s salaries as mandated by the state because of the county’s financial woes.

The move would have only amounted to a 1 or 2 percent pay increase, but Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. said he didn’t feel it was appropriate for him to accept a pay raise at a time when no other county employees were getting a pay raise.

White said that the Department of Local Government rejected the fiscal court’s 2011-2012 fiscal year budget and refused to accept it because the pay raise for the judge-executive and jailer weren’t included.

White said that instead of getting an audit write-up he opted to accept the pay raise, which amounted to a $386.28 increase, and instead donate that amount back to the fiscal court, which he did in the form of a check accepted by Whitley County Treasurer Jeff Gray during Tuesday night’s monthly fiscal court meeting.

"Instead of me receiving a raise, I am donating what extra money I would have made back to the fiscal court. I’m trying to lead by example," White said.

The fiscal court approved the salaries of the two county officials with the pay raises during Tuesday’s meeting.

During the meeting, the fiscal court also discussed a welcomed addition to the Williamsburg-Whitley County Airport by Air Evac Life Team, an emergency medical helicopter service.

"There has been a significant expansion of Air Evac at the airport," White noted. "Over the past couple of years, they have grown from a simple helicopter station like they have in some of the neighboring counties to a helicopter station and a regional repair shop that maintains the helicopters for six rounding bases.,

"They have now expanded further. They will be only the second location in Air Evac’s national organization to have a fixed wing air ambulance. They will be able to transport people through a King Air twin engine aircraft that can fly in weather conditions where helicopters cannot."

White added that Air Evac has become quite a significant employer in Whitley County.

During the meeting, the fiscal court also accepted the 2011-2012 fiscal year budgets for several entities required to submit them to the fiscal court annually, including the Williamsburg-Whitley County Airport Board and the Whitley County Public Library.
Magistrate David Myers, who represents Corbin and the northern portion of the county, noted that he wishes the Whitley County Public Library would allocate more money to the struggling Corbin Public Library. The Whitley County Public Library has about $1.1 million listed in the capitol outlay portion of its budget.

"Their sister library sure could use some of that money, but I guess they don’t have much interest in helping," Myers added.
In other business, the fiscal court:

• Authorized the purchase of a dump truck for the Whitley County Road Department, which will be purchased through a revolving lease program.

Magistrates Jamie Fuson and Robbie Brown complimented the road department for the work they have done this past year especially with all the inclement weather.

"These guys work really hard. We appreciate them," Fuson noted.

Brown said he thinks the road department does a really good job with the equipment they have to work with, which he is hope to improve over time.

• Awarded 2011 illegal open dump remediation grant contracts for the clean up of nine projects. 75 percent of the clean-up costs will be paid for by the state with the county provided 25 percent matching funds.

• Approved a resolution pertaining to a grant from the Natural Resource Conservation District that will provide 90 percent of the repair costs for a slide on River Road. The county will be required to provide the other 10 percent matching money. Project bids will be opened Wednesday.

• Held a public hearing to close .16 miles of Railroad Avenue and took action relating to the closure of the road.
White noted that the water company has had several issues related to illegal dumping and theft on that portion of the road.

"I think it is going to be an asset for everyone involved the closing of this," Brown added.