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EDITORIAL: Timing, not money, main objection to magistrate pay bump

The WLBQ football broadcasting team sometimes talks about the importance of timing and angles as it relates to specific plays and overall how the game is played.  They have some fun with the analogy and take some liberties, of course, but there is an inherent truth to the concept of timing and angles in sports.  That truth also extends to politics and the decisions of government leaders.

This leads us to last week’s decision by Butler County magistrates to give themselves a 2.3 percent cost-of-living increase.  The vote was 3-2.  Magistrates David Whittinghill, Stevie Givens, and Timmy Givens voted in favor of the motion (made by Mr. Whittinghill), while Kevin Phelps and Dillon Bryant opposed it. 

The vote has prompted significant debate across the county.  Why?  Obviously, there are some folks who think all public officials are paid too much and should never have their pay increased.  We’re not among that crowd.  Although the notion of “public service” is an important one in our political system, these individuals did not take a vow of poverty.  Furthermore, adequate compensation must be a consideration if government is going to attract quality candidates to serve the public’s interest.  Heck, we even think that a case can be made that magistrates, who make up the important legislative branch of county government, should, perhaps, be paid a little more.   They currently make about $7,800 annually.  But, that’s a debate for another time.

Our issue with the actions of magistrates last week as it relates to increasing their pay goes back to timing, as well as process.  With the country essentially on pandemic lockdown for over two months, local businesses shuddered, the economy reeling, and tightening operating budgets coming, it is hard to see why magistrates chose this time to reward themselves with a modest pay bump.  Sure, federal government stimulus checks have helped to mitigate financial woes for some but many folks are still suffering financially.  Business owners, small and large, are now facing a tremendous amount of financial uncertainty as the phase reopenings are taking place.  In some ways, the “not knowing” part is equally unsettling and a source of stress.  The business world loves certainty, consistency.  They haven’t had that in a while and citizens expect their leaders to understand their frustrations and stand with them in difficult times.  Their action challenges that notion.

The other area of concern is how the motion and vote were conducted somewhat unexpectedly, weren't on the agenda (not a requirement though), and came at the very end of the meeting following a closed session for another purpose.  To use a sports analogy, this action was taken during the “garbage time” of the meeting.  We (Beech Tree News) had even ended our video of the meeting as no additional action was expected.  It is against this backdrop that this controversial action was taken. 

Now, let’s be clear.  We’re not suggesting this is the end of the world. Nor, are we trying to incite the good folks of Butler County to grab their pitchforks and head to the castle.  And, most definitely, we are in no way saying the magistrates who supported the cost-of-living raise are bad people.  They most certainly are not.  However, we do believe that their instincts and judgment in this instance should have been better.

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Agree or disagree?  Send comments to [email protected].  

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Beech Tree News’ editorials are the official collective opinion of the news site and are typically representative of multiple individuals within the organization.


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