Columbia County Commission News
18% Employee Pay Raise Put On Hold
Columbia County, FL (posted Feb. 5, 2009)
by Stew Lilker
T
he 18% pay raise of Columbia County’s new recreation director,
Mario Coppock, appears to be on hold so that the County
Commission can go over the details, according to a statement to
the Observer late Wednesday by County Manager, Dale Williams.
County Manager Williams said that he is going to ask the Board
to put over their deliberations until the 19th of February,
explaining that, “The Board has asked me for more information
and I don’t believe I would be able to have it all available by
the meeting tomorrow evening.”
County Manager Williams explained that in the end of January a
meeting was held with himself, City Councilman Jake Hill, County
Commissioner Ronald Williams and Mr. Coppock to discuss “some
issues” regarding Mr. Coppock’s position. County Manager
Williams said that the meeting really wasn’t planned and that it
did not have to be noticed under the provisions of the Sunshine
Law, for among other reasons that Commissioner Williams “really
didn’t participate.”
There is not a “really didn’t participate” provision of the
Sunshine Law, something that the County Manager has been using
for years as a ruse to have illegal meetings with more than one
County Commissioner in his office. These illegal meetings
compromised the integrity of the county workers that witnessed
them and the Observer believes that this practice has finally
come to an end.
City Councilman and Vice Mayor George Ward told the Observer,
“If I know that a meeting hasn’t been legally noticed, I won’t
participate.” City Clerk Audrey Sikes told the Observer, “If our
office knows before hand of a meeting and at that meeting the
topics to be discussed will be acted on in the foreseeable
future, we will notice the meeting.”
As Lake City has cut their recreation program because of budget
constraints, the County has picked up the slack, with long time
District I Commissioner, Ronald Williams, in the forefront as
the Board’s foremost supporter of county recreation.
Mr. Coppock, who is about to conclude his employment with the
city after thirty years, should be coming on board with the
county as a full time county employee on March 1, 2009.
According to Mr. Coppock, his department will consist of two
full time employees and four part time employees.
Mr. Coppock’s recollection of the events leading up to and
surrounding the meeting with Councilman Hill, Commissioner
Williams and the County Manager were a little different than
those of County Manager Williams, with Mr. Coppock claiming that
the meeting was planned, that Commissioner Williams did
participate and various issues concerning his employment with
the County were discussed.
Mr. Coppock told the Observer late Wednesday evening that he
wasn’t aware of his proposed county job title, nor his position.
Mr. Coppock also explained that he was not aware of the final
salary that was to have been presented to the County Commission
on Thursday night.
According to the city salary survey and conversations with the
city, Mr. Coppock’s present salary is $45,000 (whole numbers).
This is in line with current number presented by the County.
It is now that things begin to get a little fuzzy.
The city pay is taken from the city salary study and was
verified with the city.
County Manager Williams, rather than relying on the county’s
excellent Human Resources director, Michelle Crummit to come
with a pay plan, did an end run around his staff and came up
with a bunch of numbers and explanations that so far, defy
comprehension and just make no sense.
In a memo dated January 20, 2009, County Manager Williams told
the County Commission: Due the contractual arrangement for
Mario’s employment, he did not receive the benefit of salary
adjustments as was afforded other City or County employees from
salary surveys. This correction, with retroactivity, is
requested. Computations are attached under separate memo.
The Observer advised County Manager Williams that his remarks
weren’t accurate, based on the salary survey the Observer
received from the City. The CM asked the Observer for those
figures and that spread sheet is being e-mailed to him. County
Manager Williams said that he was working from a different set
of numbers.
When the Observer advised Mr. Coppock of the County Manager’s
salary adjustment schedule and his proposed $54,405 salary,
which included a mysterious $12,084 “longevity factor” Mr.
Coppock said, “No one ever discussed this with me. This is the
first I am hearing of it.”
When the Observer asked Mr. Coppock if he knew what his proposed
new job title was, Mr. Coppock said, “No, do you know?”
After Mr. Coppock was advised that his position was to be
“recreation director,” Mr. Coppock said, “Thank you, now I
know.”
The County Manager’s proposed $54,405 for the recreation
director slot represents an 18% increase over Mr. Coppocks
present salary, which the County is paying to the City through
February 28, 2009.
How much should Mr. Coppock be paid? Is an 18% increase over his
present rate of pay excessive in these trying economic times? Do
the skills and achievements that Mr. Coppock brings to the
county merit additional compensation?
These and other questions are what the Board of County
Commissioners has to decide.
Mr. Coppock told the Observer, “I am not opposed to the
discussion. This is what makes America what it is. I have a
family and I have to make plans. I am looking forward to getting
on with this.”
