Quorum Court OKs bonuses for detention facility employees

The Washington County Courthouse is seen in Fayetteville in this undated file photo. (NWA Democrat-Gazette file photo)
The Washington County Courthouse is seen in Fayetteville in this undated file photo. (NWA Democrat-Gazette file photo)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Bonuses for Washington County employees who worked in the Detention Center and the Juvenile Detention Center during the covid-19 pandemic were approved Thursday by the Quorum Court, with promises other employees will be considered as well.

The justices of the peace voted to spend $297,865 from the $4.5 million in CARES Act money the county has received to compensate jail employees. According to Patrick Deakins, justice of the peace for District 5 in northeast Washington County who sponsored the ordinance, full-time employees are eligible for additional pay of $50 for each pay period they worked in the past year. Part-time employees are eligible for $25 for each pay period they worked. Deakins said the maximum amount any employee could receive is about $1,300.

The ordinance did raise some questions since it's limited to the jail employees. Other county elected officials asked last week when the proposal was presented to the Finance and Budget Committee their employees also be considered. Several justices of the peace said they want to have all county employees who worked throughout the pandemic be considered for bonuses.

The employees of the Coroner's Office were mentioned several times as examples of other "high-risk" jobs and some justices of the peace pointed out many county employees were asked to work in offices where they were in contact with the public to keep county government open and functioning throughout the pandemic.

Sheriff Tim Helder said he appreciated and supported all county employees being considered, but those who worked in the detention facilities are a special case. Helder said at least 350 detainees at the jail tested positive for covid during the last year and 75 employees tested positive during the same time. Helder asked the justices of the peace to not delay consideration of the bonuses for those employees.

"This is a different issue," Helder said. "These are people in a confined environment with constant exposure."

The justices of the peace also approved raising county attorney Brian Lester's annual salary by nearly $20,000.

The Finance and Budget Committee endorsed the proposal, which increases the county attorney's pay from $83,780 to $103,000, when the committee met May 11 and sent the proposal on to Thursday's Quorum Court meeting.

County Judge Joseph Wood proposed the raise to the Finance and Budget Committee, arguing Lester's salary was below the market average for "similarly situation position. Wood gave the justices of the peace a letter and a sheet of information comparing the Washington County attorney post to the county attorney in Pulaski County, the city attorneys in the four largest cities in Northwest Arkansas, other city attorneys in Arkansas, and attorneys in private practice. That comparison set the average salary for those positions at $107,848.

Also Thursday, the justices of the peace rejected a proposal to make the Finance and Budget Committee a committee of the whole, including all 15 justices of the peace instead of just seven justices of the peace appointed by Wood.

Eva Madison, justice of the peace for District 9 in Fayetteville, sponsored the proposal after complaining the make up of the committee was meant to stifle discussion and dissent. The proposal makes note of past Quorum Court action to abolish the Finance and Budget Committee and have all of the justices of the peace work on the budget.

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Washington County’s justices of the peace on Thursday approved spending $93,000 to buy body cameras for deputies and jailers in the Sheriff’s Office. The money would come from the communications fund in the Sheriff’s Office budget.

Source: Washington County

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