Will someone explain to me why this man can't live on $81 thousand a year in this county? With a pay increase of 10% that he got, it makes it over $90 thousand he will make next year. Does he have to pay for his own travel expenses to and from places? Or do we cover that.... And just for curiosity sake, anyone working for some of those companies here in the county care to share what percentage their pay raise was? I am pretty sure fire and police aren't getting %10....Just curious if anyone else thought it a hefty amount....
Alsup receives pay increase
By JEANNE RICHARDSON Courier Staff Writer
The County Commission voted 2-1 on Tuesday morning to give County Administrator Leroy Alsup a 10 percent salary increase.
Commissioner Carmelita Clarkson voted against the raise.
Amendments were made to bring Alsup's contract up to date, and raise his annual base salary from $81,598.40 to $90,001.60.
"He's picked up the ball with our employees, the jail project and others," said Chairman Dick Bonfy. "We have brought our salaries more in line with other county administrators in counties of the same size."
Commissioner Gary Wilson agreed that Alsup had "done a good job."
Clarkson said it was not a good time to hand out such a large raise.
"I think the salary should have stayed the same," said Clarkson. "We're cutting people, trying to save taxpayer's dollars. I'm there to represent the taxpayers, and I think he's probably getting more (money) than most in the county."
The commission also voted to authorize the purchase of a new car for the Community Corrections Department. That wasn't unanimous, either.
The vote was 2-1 and Clarkson was again the one commissioner to vote against the purchase order, saying she cannot "justify paying more for this car when we've cut the budget in other departments."
According to a letter from Michael Knapp, director of Community Corrections, the department was allotted $14,000 from a grant to buy a vehicle for transporting clients.
But Knapp wrote that a new vehicle would serve their needs for a longer period of time, provide a full warranty and need less money for maintenance. So the department asked the commission for help to pay for the price of a new car.
It received a bid for $17,953 for a new 2008 Chevy Impala from Merle Snider, which was the lowest bid.
In other business, the commission voted to authorize the appointment of members on the Cowley County Mental Health & Counseling Center Board of Directors. Froma Wolc and Jon Von Achen were both reappointed, while Jim Hinegardner and Rebecca Cunningham were appointed as new members.
The commission authorized the issuance of a purchase order for $31,530 so that the county appraiser's office can purchase two 2008 Ranger XLT Super Cab 4x4 pickups.
Yeah, 10% of 80k is a damn big raise... but what do they care... WE are the ones paying for it.
It seems that only Carmelita Clarkson had her head in the right place (yet again... after speaking out on Roger Sparks getting free dumping awhile back). I don't know Clarkson from Adam, but I'm starting to like her way of thinking. Anyone know more about her? What is her voting record like?
I personally don't find Alsup's wages to be too high. He oversees a budget of something over $10M a year and several hundred county employees. Professionals in the Public Administration field with the years of experience Alsup has do not come cheap. This is not a blue collar laborer job. Yes, he earns more than most of us in the county but there are very few in this county with his level of education and experience. Or with responsibility for that level of budget and number of employees.
As for Carmelita. Prior to being elected Commissioner she served at least one term as County Clerk and before that worked for many years in the Clerk's office under Joe Gaston. She knows how the courthouse is run. She is very conservative financially and is willing to question any expenditures that seem to her unnecessary or unneeded.
I would have to agree with the 86%. To use the correctional inmates to do work that should be done by local people for the last several years is not good administrative work for the people , but on the other hand it did land him a healthy raise from the money he saved. Also might the raise be a lure to attract someone else who can cut corners better to come in and do a job that may have been looked as by the commission as being poorly performed. What at-a-Boy's does he have in his performance jacket that we should know about so we can support the raise. They will not publish the bad but why don't they ever say more to the people he's done a good job, what just exactly is his good jobs. And he does not or more than likely ever see more than 5% of the county employee's if that many to say he does a good job for them. I am sure they will not all say he's been so good to me "GIVE HIM A RAISE". So before he takes his raise that will certainly boost his retirement, maybe it's about his retirement, how long has he been doing this job. You know they say most white collar workers lobby for that sort of raise just before they go out, but then they return like a bad rash to consult at 2/3 the previous salary.
For many years now I have been hearing people talk about being on a fixed income. I just want to remind them that they are NOT on a fixed income. That is a ploy to make you think you are getting the same amount of money each month, when in fact you are NOT.
I retired about 17 years ago with my social security and a small pension plus a little money we had saved toward our retirement. That saved money was drawing at least 6% for several years. This helped to keep our income up a little bit even with all the increases in health insurance. In the past seven plus years, with the aid of Allan Greenspan, and now Ben Bernanke as Chairmen of the Federal Reserve. They have managed to cut interest rates each year several times. Now, you are lucky if your money can draw even 4%, generally less than that. With this loss of growth in your saved money and the increases in health insurance and everything else, you are now on an unfixed income. You just thought you were on a fixed income!!
And to top it all off, they give the County Administrator a ten percent raise and I am sure your tax dollars will be affected in some way due to this increase. I wonder if the County Commissioners are giving themselves a raise? Oh well, you fixed income people will take care of them.
I wonder just how many people in Cowley County are over 65 and in that bracket of fixed incomers? Give us a break, let's have some sound business decisions made for those many people in Cowley County who fit this criteria.
11%
. You know they say most white collar workers lobby for that sort of raise just before they go out, but then they return like a bad rash to consult at 2/3 the previous salary. 
