Beech Tree News Network

The final 2015 regular session of the Butler County Fiscal Court was held on Monday evening, December 28, 2015. All magistrates were present and were met with a brief agenda.

After approving the minutes from previous meetings, discussion turned to the 2016 allocation of funds for the Butler County Sheriff's Office. Third-District Magistrate Chad Tyree moved to approve the allocation, with First-District Magistrate Stevie Givens providing the second. The motion passed by a 4-1 vote. Continuing his opposition to any funding measures for the Sheriff's Office, Fourth-District Magistrate David Whittinghill voted 'nay' on the motion.

Next, Butler County Chief Deputy Heath West presented the Court with the maximum salaries for deputy sheriffs, staff, and assistants for the Butler County Sheriff's Office. For the third consecutive year, Sheriff Scottie Ward asked that the maximum be set at $381,000. That figure does not include the Sheriff's salary. Magistrate Stevie Givens moved to accept the request, with Fifth-District Magistrate Bobby Moore giving the second.

Following the motion Magistrate Whittinghill made a motion to amend the previous motion, and set maximum salaries for deputy sheriffs, staff, and assistants at $330,000. Magistrate Tyree gave the motion a second to allow discussion.

Some discussion was had concerning the amount the Sheriff budgeted for staff salaries. It was determined that the Sheriff budgeted only $323,000 for salaries in his 2016 budget. Magistrate Whittinghill stated that his proposal of $330,000 was $7,000 more than the Sheriff budgeted, so the budget could be cut without affecting funding for the department.

A vote was called on the amended motion and it passed by a 5-0 vote.

Emergency Management Director/Solid Waste Enforcement Officer Richard Henderson spoke to the Court concerning his job duties. Henderson told the Court that his health prevents him from properly performing his solid waste duties. Specifically, he said that he wasn't up to the kneeling required to work at the recycling center.

Henderson proposed to the Court that his salary be cut to $12,000 per year--down from $25,000 per year, and that he would work 33 hours per week part-time. Henderson would also still be governed by a salary exemption which precludes him being paid overtime. Henderson said he would help his successor, and that his office space had been set up to accommodate another occupant.

Magistrate David Whittinghill moved to accept the revised job duties for Henderson, and set the effective date of his resignation at January 11, 2015. The motion passed 5-0.

Whittinghill then moved to advertise the position of Solid Waste Coordinator. The position would be less than 100 hours per month, and would start at $10 per hour, with a 60-day probationary period. The motion passed 5-0.

When Judge-Executive David Fields opened the meeting for items not on the posted agenda, Magistrate Tyree brought up video recording of Fiscal Court meetings. He said that he had been approached by citizens about the matter.

Judge Fields told Tyree that plans were in place for the Administrative Office of the Courts to install a video recording system in the courtroom. He said that he had talked to the AOC about using the system, and they have assured him arrangements can be made, providing that the county have someone trained to use the equipment.

A motion to move forward with plans to record meetings was passed by a 5-0 vote.

Before the meeting closed Magistrate Givens told the Court that he thought the County Road Department deserved recognition for working on Christmas weekend to clear storm debris from county roads. The rest of the Court agreed that the Road Department went above and beyond what was expected of them.

The meeting was then adjourned.