By Carolyn Huddleston

Liberal resident

Two months ago JCAPS wanted raises, but the Commission made the decision not to allow those raises at this time.  Now JCAPS is returning with their exact same, desired pay scale, asking that the starting pay for a Juvenile Intake Officer be set at $24.88 per hour.  What is the starting pay for a Sheriff’s Deputy?  $21 per hour.  Interestingly, papers in the agenda packet for the Commission meeting Monday, May 4, papers provided by the JCAPS Director, Chelsea Droste, show that this position requires only a high school degree.  

The pay scale Chelsea wants the Commissioners to follow is used by Court Services, a State agency under the Office of Judicial Administration, which also provides supervision for offenders.  However, all employees of Court Services are required to have a four-year college degree, so this pay scale shouldn’t even apply to the position they are talking about here.  What about the County pay scale?  According to Megan Milner, the Deputy Director for Juvenile and Adult Community Based-Services at the Kansas Department of Corrections, which provides their grant money, JCAPS staff and staff of Cimarron Basin are Seward County employees, supposed to be following all policies and procedures that apply to the other County employees.  The Commission can disregard their own pay scale, if they choose to do so, but I am hoping they will uphold their previous decision on this point.  Both Ford County and Finney County require these staff to follow their County pay scales.

Meanwhile, the Health Department is requesting a starting pay for LPNs of $20 per hour, and starting pay for a part-time RN of $29.34.  Looking at what people are currently making, I think the starting pay for LPNs is now around $16 per hour, and for an RN, about $27.  [If these increases to starting pay are approved, what about the 11 employees of the Health Department now making less than $20, and the 3 RNs, now making less than $29.34?  Would they all need raises?]  In any case, I have a problem with these increases because of what the pay is for others.  I think the starting pay for the EMS workers and firefighters is only $16.  What about them?  And all the other Departments?  Further, staff of the Health Department work only 32 to 34 hours per week.  They might have some extra money as a result of shifting money earmarked for bonuses to operations, but I would hope this would go towards increasing their hours, not adding more staff or giving raises.

If the Commission is concerned about bad feelings between staff of different County Departments, it might be good not to show favoritism to JCAPS and the Health Department.  If you readers agree with me, you know what to do.  Speak to your Commissioners.