By Rebecca Ferrar
Knoxville News-Sentinel
More than 100 Knox County Sheriff’s Department deputies showed up before County Commission on Monday to support Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones’ plea that all county employees, not just his deputies and staff, receive a pay raise in this tight budget year.
“We’ve not addressed this in the past three years,” Jones said. “Now is the time to address it. Let there be no mistake - we’re talking about a raise for all employees.”
Jones said “it’s a tough pill to swallow” that state employees and school employees are getting a raise and county employees are left empty handed.
Also supporting a raise was Mark Taylor, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, who said the deputies need to be treated with “respect and dignity” and that includes recognizing their worth by giving them a pay raise.
“We’re talking about some of Knox County’s most vulnerable employees,” Taylor said. He noted that violence against law enforcement officers is increasing and “these officers need to be compensated. These officers are doing an excellent job. They’ve been performing under some of the worst conditions. July 2008 was their last raise. I would like for you to give them consideration in helping with a raise this year.”
At the suggestion of Commissioner Amy Broyles, Commission Chairman Mike Hammond asked the County Human Resources Department to conduct a salary survey to determine how Knox County deputies’ salaries stack up against other comparable departments.
That report will be made at a commission hearing June 6. The commission is scheduled to vote on the budget June 13.
Taylor also noted the Knoxville Police Department officers will receive a 2.5 percent pay raise this year as mandated by the city charter.
He said while there is no pay raise for deputies, insurance costs have gone up, and “It’s almost like they’re going backwards.”
The deputies were protesting the proposed $149 million operating budget for 2011-12 - which excludes pay raises but includes no tax increase - presented by Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett.
Burchett told commissioners this is not the year to give raises. He said the cost of a 3 percent pay raise for all county employees - as advocated by Broyles - is $4 million and would mean the closure of some departments and the layoffs of 100 people.
The other option is to take the funding from the emergency fund balance, and that’s not acceptable, Burchett said.
“That sets a bad precedent,” he said. “No one would like to give pay raises more than I would. We are going to have to make tough decisions, but this is not the year to do it. We just don’t have the money.”
Broyles said some county employees make less than $30,000 a year, and for them, 3 percent “is not very much. It’s not really much of a raise. I’m committed to finding raises for all Knox County employees, and I will try to convince my colleagues it’s the right thing to do.”
As for Broyles’ 3 percent pay raise proposal, she said there would have to be some “juggling” in the budget to accomplish that.
Commissioner Sam McKenzie said he didn’t buy the “gloom and doom” economy being portrayed.
“We have the highest fund balance,” he said. “We have the highest bond rating ever. We’re not paupers. We’ve managed this budget very well the last 10 years.”
Commission Vice Chairman Brad Anders said he believes the deputies deserve a raise.
“I think we’re going to have discussions about the possibilities,” Anders said. “We need to have a plan to compensate them over the next few years. If we give them a raise, we have to give other employees a raise.”
Copyright 2011 Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.