Question for City Council Candidates:
What Employee is Worth Over $530 per Hour?
By Dave
Divelbiss
| How many people do you know that work a part-time job
paying over $530 per hour? Who would pay such a salary? If you are a
Lenoir City taxpayer, then you do! City judge Terry Vann's salary rose from $19,495.13 in FY 2002-2003 to $53,261.30 in FY 2007-2008 - a 173% increase. (source: city recorder/treasurer) One increase in Vann’s pay came in 2003 when Mayor Brookshire gave him a $15,000 raise without council approval - the reason given was that "he requested it". Another raise for the same amount came from city council on a motion by Tony Aikens - the reason given being that “he’s a judge and he has a college degree”. Terry Vann holds court 64 times per year. Municipal court is held weekly (52 times annually), and environmental court is held monthly (12 times annually). The length of a court session is said to be a maximum of 1 hour, with the judge working a maximum of 1.5 hours. This means Judge Vann would work a maximum of 100 hours per year (that's rounding UP!). That would give him a rate of pay at $532.61 per hour. As for the city council candidates sending you e-mails & flyers, knocking doors, and hanging out at the early voting location - you might want to ask them if they think this is justifiable. If you are talking to an incumbent councilman, you might want to ask why it has been allowed to go on while they have been “serving” you. |
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10/10/08