Jailer Questions Transportation Officers Salary

By PJ Martin

Editor, The Herald-News

 

The Metcalfe County fiscal court met in regular session on Thursday, September 10^th, with magistrates Daniel Bragg, Ronnie Miller, Harvey Hawkins, and Kevin Crain, Judge/Executive Larry Wilson, Clerk/Treasurer Page Edwards, County Attorney Sharon Howard, Road Supervisor Chris Compton, Solid Waste Coordinator Kim Jandt, and Jailer Randall Shive.

 

Others in attendance were Lorrie Gilpin, Occupational Tax Administrator; Megan England, Finance Officer; Connie Taylor, Finance Officer; and PJ Martin for The Herald-News.

 

A quorum was declared present, and the minutes from the August 27^th meeting were approved after motions by Hawkins and Crain.

 

Jailer Randall Shive addressed the court and asked, “I was under the impression that everybody was getting a 3% raise across the board, and we didn’t get ours. And I just wondered why we don’t deserve a raise like everybody else?”

 

Judge Wilson said it must have been an oversight, if that happened. But then Edwards explained, “It wasn’t an across-the-board type deal. Last year, beginning last year, on July 1st of 25, they (three transportation officers) started, they got their raise for them, which was almost a 21% raise. It wasn’t across the board.”

 

Edwards was referring to the raise given to the transportation officers that began on July 1, 2025, that took them from $824 per month ($9,888 yr) up to $1,000 per month ($12,000 yr).

 

The elected officials are scheduled to receive a 2.7% raise effective January 1, 2027, but that isn’t an across-the-board raise.

 

Judge Wilson asked Shive, “Let me ask you this. I remember when we hired the last transport officer. I agreed to it as long as they could make up the difference. And you transported state prisoners, and that has always covered the cost.”

 

“We’re going to keep transporting them, but they’re changing the way they’re paying them,” replied Shive, adding, “Ones that’s got felony charges. The state will pay better. That’s what that’s been paid for; it’s a felony, but they’re cutting it back.”

 

“Now, let me ask you this. If those rates, what we get, drops, and we’re not coming up with the salary, are you gonna be in agreement that we cut one of them (part-time officers) back?” asked Wilson.

 

“Well, how are we supposed to cut one of them out when that just puts more duties on us… I mean, we’re short-handed as it is,” said Shive.

 

Edwards added, “I know a lot of counties that we’ve seen also do per trip. They don’t get a flat rate per month (like Metcalfe).”

 

Shive explained how it works, “Dennis left at 5 o’clock this morning going to Bardstown to get one to pick up for court. Jeremy was out last night at 11:30 taking one to Hopkinsville. And they’re just part-time, and they can only work 99 hours a month… I got up at 2 o’clock, going to Barren County. I had one going to Hopkinsville. That’s a four and a half hour trip.”

 

Crain asked Shive how many hours he worked a month, and Shive answered, “…covering 6,300 hours, which figures out about 121 hours a week that’s got to be covered.”

 

It was finally agreed to give a CPI (cost of living) raise of 2.7% to the transportation officers and the animal control officer beginning October 1^st. The motions were made by Bragg and Miller.

 

The court acknowledged the rates set for the Metcalfe County School District for Real Property 51.3 cents per $100 (down from 52.2) and the 2027 Motor Vehicle/Watercraft 56.6 cents per $100 (same).

 

Next was Resolution #26-0910 Subtle – Garrett Creek Road Extension, which concerns 0.37 miles of the road, which is in Metcalfe County. The county has been maintaining this section of the road since February, but the paperwork had not been completed to add it to the county road maintenance list. The resolution was approved after motions were made by Bragg and Miller.

 

One of the two Ambulance Fund CDs at the bank is due this month. Megan contacted the bank and was given these interest rates for renewal: 6 months at 3.55%, 9 months at 3.65%, 12 months at 3.75%, and 15 + months at 3.86%. The motion to renew for 15 months at 3.85% was made by Bragg, seconded by Miller, and approved.

 

Since the school’s fall break and holidays are in October through December, some of the regular meeting dates had to be changed. The meeting changes were approved after motions by Bragg and Hawkins. The fiscal court dates are: Tuesday, October 13, Thursday, October 22, Friday, November 13, Wednesday, November 25, Thursday, December 10, and Wednesday, December 23, 2026.

 

Financials

 

The August financial statement was approved after motions by Crain and Miller, followed by one budget transfer for road materials, which was also approved.

 

The interfund transfers were next. Edwards explained, “There are three: the first one is to the jail to operate, second one is ABC money to go to the general, and the third one is money that came in state grants that goes to the jail.”

 

The interfund transfers were all approved. Next were the claims, with only the jail payment noted as $22,500, which decreased by a small amount. The claims were approved after motions by Bragg and Miller.

 

The DES, recycling, and road department reports were received by everyone.

 

In other business, John Phelps of EUDS presented a short update on FEMA claims. He provided a new spreadsheet which was requested at his last update. Several FEMA claims reaching back several years are finally being closed, and the disaster claims from this year have been opened.

 

Bragg asked why claims that covered several roads couldn’t be separated, with payments issued for the individual roads as they were completed. The customary process is to wait until the full claim is complete and then issue payment, as this is much less confusing.

 

The county is currently waiting for reimbursement from the state for work already completed.

 

The meeting was adjourned.