With outbursts kept more or less at bay, 15 members of the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) pinned down three variations on the multi-person commission structure at Monday’s joint subcommittee meeting.
Data compiled from seven Georgia counties, similar in “key areas” to Pickens, show these three options will cost taxpayers an additional $60,000 - $85,000 per year. But that figure does not include projections for unforeseen costs that may be incurred by a multi-person board.
It was also determined (from the same data) that a full-time chair, a county administrator or a county manager will require a salary nearly equivalent to the current salary of the sole commissioner (approximately $132,000 including fringe benefits) making at least two of these three positions a “wash”, in the words of committee chairman, Phil Anderson.
The cost for any one of these positions would be about the same as the present salary for a sole commissioner, and in two of the three final variations of an administrative structure only one of these positions would be needed.
One option, however, operates using a full-time chairman, and the full-time chair plus the board of commissioners could choose to hire a county administrator or county manager who would be salaried in addition to the full-time chairman.
In other words, the CAC is expecting $60,000-$85,000 to cover costs for the addition of four part-time commissioners’ (their salaries, training, travel and social security) plus, in two of the three final options, the cost of a part-time chairman.
If the full-time chair option is ultimately chosen, there is the possibility of an additional $100,000 in cost if the choice is made to also hire a full-time county administrator or manager.
“These are the costs that will be above and beyond what the taxpayers are paying now,” said CAC Chair Phil Anderson, who strongly recommends the CAC break down the additional cost to a per-household basis.
“I want to be able to say to voters, ‘You will be able to buy a multi-person commission for [so many] dollars on the cent,’” Anderson said.
Based on Pickens County budgets from 2006-2009, the CAC conservatively estimates the 2013 budget will run approximately $21 million.
Representatives from each CAC subcommittee worked through five “consensus building” questions Monday, such as “Should part time commissioners be given fringe benefits?” and “Should the part-time or full-time chair be elected county-wide?” Based on their answers to these questions, the group then sifted through a list of eight multi-person commission options (compiled at a previous joint-subcommittee meeting) and chose the three options they concluded were most suitable.
Members of the CAC present at Monday’s meeting (which included representatives from all subcommittees) were pleased with the final three choices.
“These are all diverse enough that it will give us and the public some choice,” CAC member Melanie Whitt said.
The three variations, which will be presented to the full CAC for final deliberation on Monday, are as follows:
• Four part-time commissioners, with a part-time chair (serving four-year staggered terms) and a county manager to be hired by the board. All commissioners and the chair to be elected by district. Five districts total.
• Four part-time commissioners, with a part-time chair (all to serve four-year staggered terms) and a county manager to be hired by the board. All commissioners to be elected by district, with the board chair to be elected county-wide. Four districts total.
•Four part-time commissioners with a full-time chair, all to serve four-year staggered terms. All commissioners would be elected by district while the chair would be elected county wide. Four districts total. The board of commissioners could, if they deem necessary, opt to hire either a county administrator or county manager.
Breakdown of costs
The research subcommittee calculated costs for the addition of part-time commissioners and a part-time chair by averaging figures received from seven other Georgia county governments. The subcommittee added 10-percent to the figures to create a high range and subtracted 10-percent to create a low range.
It was decided that fringe benefits such as health insurance and retirement should be an option for commissioners, but that these options should be at no cost to the taxpayer.
Such fringe benefits are considered to be optional and, typically, aren’t deal breakers for potential candidates, according to a Dave Wills, Governmental Relations Manager for the Association of County Commissioners.
“If costs are an overwhelming concern,” CAC Chair Anderson read from a letter sent by Wills, “you can eliminate the health[care] and benefits from consideration.”
Anderson noted that in Dawson County, where he served as county manger, health benefits were available, but only one commissioner chose to utilize the option.
At Monday’s meeting, the CAC seemed to initially lean toward offering no fringe benefits to commissioners, but CAC members John Foust and Robert Keller played “devil’s advocate,” petitioning for, at the least, a health/retirement option.
“I don’t think we should look at cost predicating all our decisions,” said Keller. “I know cost has been an issue, but we don’t want to cut as cheap as we can. Is that the message we want to send? If we want to attract a more upper class clientele of people who would want to run, we should offer something that would attract them….It would show that we are a forward thinking county.”
Ultimately the CAC determined that commissioners should have the option of buying into health insurance and pre-tax retirement options through the county, at the county’s discounted group or government rates.
Following is the breakdown of expected costs for the part-time commissioners and part-time chair:
•Part-time commissioner salary – From $9,337 - $11,411 per commissioner (With four total commissioners total).
•Part-time chair salary (when applicable) – From $11,671 - $14,263
•Training - $10,000
•Travel - $10,000
•FICA/Medicare - From $2,903 - $4,583
Look in next week’s Progress for coverage of the full CAC discussion of the final three options. Following their deliberation, the CAC will hear presentations from government officials who currently operate under these three commission forms.
The CAC will then hold a public hearing October 5, where members will answer questions from the public and hear comments regarding the forms in a casual setting. Four stations will be set up, one for each variation and one for a comparison of the three variations. The hearing will be a long-duration event, running from mid-afternoon into the evening. The CAC will then take information gathered from this hearing to make their final selection.
Voters ultimately will decide if a multi-person commission government replaces the current sole commissioner format. A binding referendum will appear on the 2010 general election ballot.
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