The Baldwin County Commission approved pay raises this week for eight appointed county directors, a move that prompted Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack to ask commissioners to keep his office better informed on how personnel compensation decisions are made going forward.
Mack told commissioners during the meeting in Bay Minette that he understood the county was operating under a plan calling for a 1 percent cost-of-living increase along with merit raises of up to 2.5 percent for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. He noted that his own department includes seven employees outside the county’s merit system whose pay he adjusts directly as head of the roughly 300-employee Sheriff’s Office.
Mack said he was not objecting to the raises given to the appointed directors, calling them highly qualified, but said the Sheriff’s Office has traditionally tried to mirror commission pay decisions to maintain consistency across county government. Commission Chairman Charles “Skip” Gruber said he was open to reviewing salaries within the Sheriff’s Department going forward.
The commission-approved raises, which ranged from 3.5 to 4 percent, came after base salaries for several directors were adjusted upward to correct years of underpayment relative to peers, with final amounts also reflecting each commissioner’s evaluation of job performance.
Among those receiving raises were Budget Director Ron Cink, whose pay rose 4 percent to $93,570, with an additional stipend while he continues serving as interim county administrator; Building Official Michael Howell, whose base pay was raised before his salary increased 3.8 percent to $93,447; and Personnel Director Andrea Rider, who saw a 3.9 percent increase to $93,534 after her base pay was adjusted to reflect her interim director duties over the past four years.
Solid Waste Director Terri Graham received a 3.5 percent increase to $93,179 after her base salary was corrected from an outdated pay schedule. Clerk/Treasurer Kim Creech’s salary rose 4 percent to $101,900, while EMA Director Mitchell Sims and CIS Director Brian Peacock each saw increases of 3.8 percent, bringing their salaries to $98,629 and $101,684 respectively. Juvenile Detention Center Director Jennifer Lee received a 3.5 percent raise to $95,248.
County Engineer Cal Markert’s salary was not addressed during the meeting. Commissioner Frank Burt Jr. said he wants Markert to receive a larger increase than originally proposed and asked to delay the vote until the commission’s Dec. 16 meeting, since Commissioner Chris Elliott was absent while attending a new county officials training session in Montgomery.