Deputies pay Solve problem, not symptom

To the Editor:

Having read the letter from the Sheriff Deputies, the letter written by Larry Kimbrow and the comments made by the folks in your "Let's Talk" column, it is obvious the County has a problem. However, what we see and read focuses on the symptom, not the solution.

While there may have been some spite on the part of the Presiding Commissioner after being soundly beaten in the election for sheriff, after reading Larry Kimbrow's letter, it sounds like shorting the Sheriff's department has been going on for years; business as usual. The problem between the deputies' pay and that of "other positions" in the county, in my estimation, is a direct result of the lack of a sound compensation program. One that provides grades for all positions, pay ranges for each grade, a merit review process with increases based on performance. A system that is "externally competitive", where deputies and police officers are paid comparable compensation, and "internally equitable", where a custodian and a road grader operator are not paid more that a deputy.

The County is not alone in the area of professionally managed compensation. Just a short while back all but two of the Council members voted for automatic percentage pay increases for certain city employees.

The building of such a system typically resides with the Manager of Human Resources. However, the City Council and the Butler County Commissioners have the responsibility to insist that such a system be put in place and oversee it once it is operational. If the Manager of Human Resources doesn't have the experience or training to implement such a system, it behooves the City Council members and the County Commissioners to arrange for a qualified compensation consultant to come in and assist with the implementation.

The City of Poplar Bluff and Butler County have reached the cross-roads of migrating from a small town and "this is the way it has always been" to professionally managed governments. Solve the problem, not the symptom.

H. Michael Doran

Poplar Bluff, Mo.