Cape Girardeau County officials discuss merit system

Pretend for a moment you're a Cape Girardeau County employee.

Every day you come in, sit at your desk and get to work right away. You stamp the files that need stamped; you file the 2-inch-thick paper pile that was dumped on your desk. You answer the telephones, greet the customers, go home every day with a bruised hand from all of the stapling you've done.

On the other side of the room, you notice that your neighbor quietly sips his coffee while checking his e-mail. He's oblivious to the ringing telephones. His lunch breaks usually run five or 10 minutes longer than they should. He's always gossiping with the woman from the office next door. He gets work done, just not as much as you do.

Now imagine learning your neighbor got the same raise you did.

The county's payroll policy was questioned and debated Thursday at a salary commission meeting. The salary commission consists of the elected county positions: clerk, auditor, assessor, treasurer, public administrator, recorder, collector, coroner, sheriff and the county commissioners.

Some county officeholders argued in favor of dumping the county's step-increase policy in favor of one that gives the elected official the authority to give raises based on merit, not just time on the job.

The raises are quite predictable for the county.

The county has set up a salary schedule that consists of 10 grades, all of which are based on the responsibilities of the job. Assistant prosecutors, for instance, would have a higher grade than an office clerk. Each grade has 16 steps.

If an employee receives a "satisfactory" evaluation, he or she moves up a step and gets a 3.5 percent increase in salary.

But there is no room to give exemplary employees an extra boost.

"There's no incentive," said Janet Robert, the recorder.

"But you've got to have some system," added County Clerk Rodney Miller. "You can't just say 'I like this ol' boy or this ol' girl and I'm going to give them more.' I think you're asking for trouble."

County Collector Diane Diebold said if budgeting payroll became part of the job of the department head, she said it wouldn't be difficult coming up with incentives.

Assessor Jerry Reynolds said the system needs to stay the way it is "or you'll have all sorts of problems."

Public Administrator Phyllis Schwab said officeholders should be willing to shoulder the responsibility.

The conversation among officeholders was civil. Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said he had not yet looked into all the legal aspects of the different types of budgeting.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said Boone County operates under a lump-sum system, so he believes it could be done. Jones said such a switch would take a burden off the county commission and place it on the backs of county officeholders.

Jones said Sheriff John Jordan has already asked for more budget authority for his department. Jordan argued last year that certain statutes indicate that he, not the commission, should decide how the department's payroll is spent.

A lump-sum budget would allow officeholders to reduce their own raises and pass it along to the employees.

Robert, the recorder, hinted that she just might do that.

"I think we [the elected officials] are paid quite well," she said. "I think our employees are not."

Treasurer Bill Reynolds agreed.

"If you have to hire somebody new, salary-wise, we're competing with McDonald's," he said.

Jones encouraged the officeholders to think about the situation some more and a meeting could be called at a later date.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635