By Alan Mauldin

alan.mauldin@gaflnews.com

MOULTRIE — County employees may get something this year that has been a long time coming — more money.

After three years without raises, Colquitt County Commission is considering a one-time payment of $1,000, which is likely to be paid a single installment. New hires would not be eligible, with the idea being that the payments would go to employees who have helped the county keep a rein on spending by virtue of not receiving salary increases.

Since employees last received a raise they have been hit with an increase in insurance premiums and beginning July 1 with the new fiscal year will begin shouldering a portion of the costs of the county’s retirement plan. Commissioners discussed the issue Tuesday night during their first huddle on next year’s budget.

If adopted by commission, the bonuses would cost the county about $252,000.

A 3 percent across-the-board raise was also considered but apparently has been rejected due to the permanence of the cost.

“Anything beats nothing,” said Tax Commissioner Cindy Harvin, whose department includes eight employees other than herself. “I definitely believe they deserve something. The employees really do need something because the morale gets low and the work gets harder.”

The move also would send a positive message to employees, she said.

“I think employees will know that they (commissioners) are thinking about them,” she said. “With the economy they way it is everything helps.”

Commissioner Winfred Giddens said during a telephone interview Wednesday that he is supportive of the payments to employees as long as it can be done without raising taxes.

“If we give a pay raise, that would be continuous,” he said. “We have to consider the economy, and I don’t think it’s going to get better in the near future. The bonus will be just a one-time deal and hopefully next year will be a better year.”

Commissioner Luke Strong said Wednesday that his preference was a 3 percent cost of living adjustment but that he could support the $1,000 payments.

“I would like to have seen the 3 percent across the board due to the economy and the way things are,” he said.

One advantage of the payments is that it would have a bigger impact for employees at the lower end of the pay scale, County Administrator Brian Shuler said Wednesday. One-thousand dollars is roughly 3 percent of the average of workers’ salaries.

Shuler said commissioners instructed him to look at helping lower-paid employees more.

An employee making $20,000 would receive a payment significantly greater than 3 percent, Shuler said.

“An employee making $50,000 would not see as big a difference, but he’s already making $50,000,” Shuler said. “But their basic needs are the same. A gallon of milk costs the same whether you make $20,000 or $50,000.”

No final decision has been made, but Shuler said he would prefer it be a one-time lump sum rather than spreading the money over 26 pay periods.

“I would like to see us do it before the end of this fiscal year,” he said. “That would be before the end of June.”

Shuler’s recommended budget totals $19,532,072. It calls for the use of $522,000 in reserve funds to balance the spending plan, with no layoffs or furloughs of employees.

Among the issues pushing up costs are a 16 percent increase in employee health costs due to several large claims to the self-funded plan, an increase in jail inmate health care costs and higher fuel prices.

In addition to the general budget, commissioners are looking at additional spending for equipment.

About $1.5 million is available for capital equipment purchases, including $920,067 in reserves that includes money the Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursed the county for county costs in overtime and repairs following heavy rains in 2008. An additional $590,625 has been set aside by the commission in the past for capital projects and is available to spend on equipment.

Last year commissioners zeroed out equipment purchases for the Roads and Bridges Department and spent sparingly in other areas.