While Madison County department heads defended their decision to offer comp time or extra pay for employees who showed up to work as “non-essentials” were instructed to stay home, the move was slammed by members of the public who felt the departments were taking advantage of a crisis.
During a virtual special Finance Committee meeting on April 1, the public was provided the opportunity to submit comments regarding the resolution in which four departments seek additional compensation – amounting to the equivalent of nearly $400,000 in extra liability for a two-week pay period.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department, State’s Attorney’s Office, Recorder’s Office and Auditor’s Office have asked for the extra compensation for the payroll period ending March 27, with each department making different requests. The Recorder’s Office was the only office to request actual additional pay for two employees. The remaining county employees requested extra compensation in the form of compensatory (comp) time.
Several people were upset that county employees would want extra compensation for reporting to work during a time when many are out of employment.
“I agree with Chairman Prenzler,” said the first person to comment. “No one should benefit from this while many are out of work. It is a shameless and cowardly action on the part of those seeking extra remuneration.”
“I find this to be appalling,” said another individual. “Many in Madison County are losing their jobs and these greedy government workers are using this health emergency to pad their paychecks. They should be ashamed of themselves, particularly when there are almost no COVID-19 infected people in Madison County.”
A third person to comment said that while county employees are asking for more, many Madison County residents will still be expected to pay taxes despite not being paid at all during the crisis.
“It is absolutely disgraceful that Madison County public employees would even think about asking for comp time or overtime pay when they are able to work,” he said. “Many in the community have been forced to stay home from work and have suffered financial hardships at this time, but will still be required to pay their taxes, which pay county employees’ wages/salaries. Shame on you."
Another person said the request for comp time or extra wages is an “insult” to those who are out of work as well as those on the frontlines.
“Respectfully I request that the request for extra pay for the state and Madison County departments be discussed at this special meeting be STRONGLY OPPOSED,” she said. “There are not adequate descriptive words to express how disgusting and descriptive rationale and scope of this request. It is at a time of a national pandemic and statewide threat. It is beyond my comprehension as to how and why these leaders/individuals believe their paid work deserves such compensation. My comments are not intended to take anything away from the purpose and provision of the work they are doing. It is important. It is a job they willingly chose to do. It is a paycheck to support their families. It is a job they can choose to accept or reject. This request is, more importantly, an insult to the many Madison County citizens who have no work and no pay during this crisis. This request is also an insult to the frontline healthcare professionals and support staff doing their best often literally in the face of those who may be positive of or carriers of the COVID-19 virus because it is the job they chose. Please defeat the proposed requests.”
The last comment came from a caller who commended the work county employees do, but stressed that this is a time to save funds amid an economic crisis.
“I look forward to hearing reasons why the extra pay and comp time was requested,” she said. “Although I appreciate our county employees’ service, my hope is that our county funds would not be taken advantage of, especially in a time of national, state, and local financial distress. We need to be more frugal than ever and considerate of all fellow citizens’ welfare.”