Accusations fly, tempers flair, then Madison County denies essential workers comp time
After a second fiery meeting between Madison County administrators and department heads, a resolution to approve compensation time for employees was voted down.
In a meeting held over the phone and broadcast to the public via Twitch — an internet streaming platform traditionally used by video gamers — the County Finance and Government Operations Committee denied employees who have continued to work through the COVID-19 pandemic comp time in addition to their normal pay. The resolution was defeated by a vote of 6-1 with one abstention.
The resolution was raised after the heads of four Madison County departments individually approved comp time that was worth nearly $400,000 between mid-March and April 1.
Non-essential workers were directed to stay home on March 16, though they will continue to be paid. The additional “incentive pay” was awarded those who remain on the job by the sheriff’s department, auditor’s office, recorder of deed’s office and state’s attorney’s office.
Madison County Compliance Manager John Thompson said that amounts to “extra compensation” for that payroll period. In total, that compensation would have come out to roughly $386,000 for hours worked between March and April 1 by the four offices.
In an article in the Madison St. Clair County Record, Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler criticized his department head’s request, referring to the use of additional comp time as “double pay” and “shameful.”
“I was elected to fight for the taxpayer and I’m not going to stand for county employees getting double pay for doing their normal job,” Prenzler told The Record, a legal newspaper backed financially by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
A previous meeting ended with no action taken on the resolution after repeated heated exchanges between board members, county administration and department heads, many of which continued to clash this week.
Before the vote, Committee Chairman Don Moore said approving the comp time, which he said is a liability for the county, would be irresponsible in the current “uncertain times.”
“We’re looking at this from the perspective of all taxpayers of Madison County. We have to manage and be efficient with their tax dollars,” Moore said. “I think it’s premature to give more than what’s in the agreement in the contract for pay for personnel.
“I think it’s irresponsible to do at this point.”
Are protests politically motivated?
Sheriff John Lakin and Chief Deputy Major Jeff Connor, however, say the protests by Prenzler and the county’s compliance Manager John Thompson are politically motivated.
“It is despicable that during this national crisis, Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler and Madison County Compliance Manager John Thompson are attempting to demonize the Sheriff’s Office because it elected to provide equal benefits to its essential personnel,” Connors read from a prepared statement during the first meeting last Friday.
County Administrator Doug Hulme, who said the department’s attempt to collect “double pay” was a “disgrace,” said he and other county administrators are working on behalf of taxpayers and not against the departments or law enforcement.
“I’m getting sick and tired of this anti-law enforcement thing,” Hulme said. “Our job is to protect the taxpayers.”
Lakin was just as direct in his response.
“Like I said last week, whenever you see an employee from the sheriff’s office in uniform,” he said, “I would hope that you would go up and introduce yourselves from a safe distance and let them know you don’t support them at all.”
Tough time for taxpayers
Committee Member Mick Madison said asking questions about how county money could be paid isn’t a critique of law enforcement but part of the committee’s job. He added that the county needed to keep in mind that some people are struggling due to COVID-19.
“I think we need to be reflective of what’s going on with the taxpayers,” Madison said. “We know there are going to be some taxpayers that are hurting and we need to be reflective of that.”
Auditor Rick Faccin and Connors both argued that it would be unlikely that any of the comp time would actually be paid out. Still, many members of the committee worried about having a $386,000 liability hanging over the county.
Prenzler was mostly silent for the meeting, asking only how much comp time has already been awarded. After the meeting, however, he said the issue wasn’t partisan because several Democrat-led departments in Madison County didn’t request the comp time.
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 2:27 PM.