Jeff Botts, magistrate and chairperson of the Barren fiscal court’s Administrative and Budget Committee, speaks during a meeting of the court on Nov. 23, 2021.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
Editor’s note: WCLU News formerly reported Barren – Metcalfe EMS employees would receive a one-time payment of $9,000, per the fiscal court’s spending plan. That information is inconsistent with the court’s vote. Barren – Metcalfe EMS employees will be awarded a payment eventually. The court will disburse approximately $235,000 to the Barren – Metcalfe EMS, according to Director Joe Middleton. The payment is a one-time occurrence. The Ambulance Service Board must approve the acceptance of the money. Metcalfe County will also have to approve the payment before those payments are given. Middleton said the funds will be proctored just the same as the county’s disbursal plan. The hours worked in Barren County are the only hours eligible for compensation. WCLU News regrets this error.
GLASGOW, Ky. — Essential employees of the Barren County Government will receive Friday the first of three premium pay bonus checks.
The Barren fiscal court worked for weeks to develop a method of payment for employees who’ve worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. The final touches were completed Thursday during a special court meeting.
“These folks could’ve closed their doors. Our residents from this county could have went to another county and took their revenue there,” said Barren County Judge Executive Micheal Hale. “But no, these folks decided to come to work, and said we’re going to be here and we’re going to continue running the operation of the county. I can’t imagine if we didn’t do that where we’d be today.”
The court’s Thursday meeting was rather brief. Magistrates agreed to cover costs associated with retirement and general taxation deductions in the premium bonus checks. The court originally said 100% of the gross amount would make it to employees, but later details surfaced taxation and retirement must be deducted from the pay.
The court’s covering the deductions guarantees employees will receive the full amount approved at an earlier meeting.
Examples were shown to the court and detailed deduction rates for different premium pay checks. FICA, Medicare and Glasgow taxes alongside EE Retirement are deducted from the checks. Each has a rate of 6.2%, 1.45%, 1.75% and 6%, respectively.
“You know, I think this is just a great way to say a thank you and help these employees,” Hale said.
The deductions for all three payments total to $758,639.34.
The court met Nov. 16 and held lengthy discussion regarding the premium pay. The court voted to backtrack and not accept the 18% designation it accepted at an Oct. 19 meeting.
Another approach was presented Nov. 23, and the court agreed to compensate eligible employees $1 per hour worked from March 3, 2020, to March 3, 2021. The court also instated a $3,300 maximum per payment.
Employees who worked a standard 40-hour work week during the 12 months would be eligible for approximately $2,080 per bonus check.
Barren County’s eight volunteer fire departments were awarded $20,000 each. The departments are limited to use of the funding. Equipment purchases are the only expenses approved, the court said.
Barren – Metcalfe EMS employees will be awarded a payment eventually. The court will disburse approximately $235,000 to the Barren – Metcalfe EMS, according to Director Joe Middleton. The payment is a one-time occurrence. The Ambulance Service Board must approve the acceptance of the money. Metcalfe County will also have to approve the payment before those payments are given.
Middleton said the funds will be proctored just the same as the county’s disbursal plan. The hours worked in Barren County are the only hours eligible for compensation.
Three payments were agreed upon at that meeting. One check will roll out Dec. 3, another will be given June 2022 and the final check is slated to be given December 2022.
Though salaried employees are not compensated for overtime pay, it is still reported. They are eligible to claim those overtime hours with the premium pay bonus checks. Time such as vacation or sick leave cannot be claimed.
The court was presented information Oct. 19 about using American Rescue Plan Act funding for premium pay. The Administrative and Budget Committee of the court met the day before to consider the funding. Original distribution goals stated 18% of the total ARPA funding received by the county would go toward employee premium pay.
“I think one point that we need to not forget is that you will never regret investing into your employees,” said Helena Birdwell, Barren County Clerk. “These individuals – in my office specifically – worked in conditions that we had no idea what the next day was going to look like. We changed everything in 2020 to make sure to continue bringing in money for this county.”
The court made a hasty decision Oct. 19 to approve an 18% allocation – which totals to about $1.5 million – from the ARPA funding to premium pay.
Barren County Treasurer Jenny Hoffman told the court a designation was due to the federal government by Oct. 31. An email was sent at an earlier date notifying the treasurer the deadline was extended. She told the Administrative and Budget Committee she was not aware of the deadline when she told the court about the Oct. 31 deadline.
“We were aggressive and wanting to make sure we hit the deadline,” said Jeff Botts, chairperson of the Administrative and Budget Committee. “We admitted in one of the other court meetings last week that we did probably rush into that decision, and hindsight’s 20-20, of course.”
Initial plans called for a $5 per hour compensation for each hour worked from Jan. 27, 2020, to Aug. 28, 2021.
Thursday’s meeting cleared up and finalized the specifics. Though the court did not follow through with its original idea of $5, a mechanism for premium pay was still constructed.
Those payments are scheduled to go out Friday.