One item of business on the Baxter County Quorum Court agenda Tuesday evening dominated discussion. The item was a proposed ordinance added to the agenda late Monday to consider repealing a recently enacted separate personnel policy for the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center employees.
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At its September meeting, the court suspended the rules and adopted the new personnel policy with 10 justices voting in favor of the ordinance, with justice Ty Chapman absent. The action followed unanimous approval by the court’s personnel committee to an effort undertaken by Sheriff John Montgomery beginning last summer.
But Judge Mickey Pendergrass told KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot news Monday he had been concerned since September that the new personnel policy was in violation of state law, maintaining all employees must be treated equally. With the passage of the new personnel policy, benefits had been increased for law enforcement employees.
Pendergrass went so far as to place information about the law at the court members’ desks prior to the September vote. However, no questions were raised about the document during or after that meeting.
Discussion Tuesday evening hinged on a concern that all employees receive the same amount of benefits, including leave and vacation time.
Sheriff Montgomery reiterated he fought for the new policy to equalize benefits for his officers with those of other law enforcement agencies. The situation has often lead to his employees leaving and has presented hiring challenges.
County Attorney David Ethredge recommended the court pause to allow time for further review. Following on that recommendation, JP Ty Chapman moved to table the measure, but his motion failed to gain a second.
The court plowed on, with Justice Dirk Waldrop offering an amendement to the proposed ordinance. The amendment met with the sheriff’s approval. It provides for the expanded benefits approved earlier for sheriff’s office personnel to be extended to include all county employees.
Despite some procedural bumps, the amendment gained passage by a vote of 10-1, with District 1 JP Dennis Frank casting the lone abstention. Frank and Chapman were sponsors of the original proposed ordinance to repeal the new personnel policy.
But the measure’s passage came with a comment from Judge Pendergrass who said he would not sign the measure until he has conferred with legal counsel, noting he has seven days to take action.
In other business, an ordinance adopting a new personnel policy manual for county employees not including the sheriff’s office was placed on its second reading.
Appropriation ordinances were approved for $15,000 in state grant funding to both the Clarkridge Fire Department and the Cotter-Gassville Rural Fire Protection District.
And the court confirmed Judge Pendergrass’ appointment of Carol Pior to the Rodney-Jordan Volunteer Fire Protection District Board of Commissioners.
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