Tears and Laughter: Leadership witnessed in Wilcox County

I’ve heard of it. I’ve even seen it exercised in other places. I certainly grew up on it, so I recognize it. I guess that is why it is easy to also notice when it is absent.

If you question whether your county lacks leadership, all you have to do is check where it ranks statewide and nationally. If it ranks near dead last in practically everything, has failing schools, an unskilled workforce, and has unemployment levels that are rising when the rest of the state is at an all-time low – your county likely does suffer from a lack of leadership.

Leadership in Wilcox County is a lot like the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot – rumored to exist, but not seen by too many people. Or at least not by me. Not until Monday evening.

Monday, March 12, this year of our Lord, at approximately 6:00 pm, an act of leadership took place at the Wilcox County Courthouse Annex.

It was standing room only in the commission chamber. There is a whole courtroom in the same building, but they have meetings in the small commission chamber where only a limited number of people attend. Everyone has to get so close together that nobody can breathe without smelling each other’s Sweet Honesty and Old Spice and the like…and the opposite. It is so cramped that a lot of people won’t stay. Some will stand in the hallway because there is no place left to even stand against the wall. They can’t fully hear what is happening, but it is important to them, so they stay.

There was a 5:00 pm work session between county employees and the commission to discuss the pay increases of three female employees. The annual salary increases were from $24,960 to $31,574 for a payroll clerk, $37,440 to $41,600 for the assistant county administrator, and $29,494 to $34,008 for the payroll/personnel director. All letters of notification were signed by the chairman of the commission, John R. Moton Jr. They all said, one more personable than others, that “he” appreciated their service to the commission office.

The raises took place last year in February and March. Rumors swirled all year about these pay increases, until the letters of notification from public files emerged. In reaction to the proof, another letter was written March 5 of this year. This letter was to the commission from the Tax, Accessor, Tax Collector, and Probate Judge giving the commission 10 days to adjust all of the other county employees’ salaries to reflect matching increases. It went on to say these employees should be valued and appreciated for the work they do too.

Well, that didn’t happen. The chairman claims the administrator gave the raises within her right as a department head at the end of probationary periods, extra projects and a review. There was no proof or description of the extra projects. There were no notes from any review. The chairman said the administrator is free to spend as she sees fit her portion of the budget, but his signature on the letters of notification did not go unnoticed by the other commissioners. He and the administrator worked in coordination. Her defense was that she had train her own self. His was that the other commissioners approved the raises when they voted to accept the budget for last year.

Commissioner Marion McIntosh disagreed with the chairman saying, “You recall things that didn’t happen. Nobody at this table would have voted for anybody to receive a twenty percent pay raise when the county can’t afford to patch potholes.”

Commissioner Bill Albritton said he didn’t vote for any such increases and would not be held responsible, that whoever made these raises would be responsible for paying them back because the raises were not legit and would be audited.

And then later, after the work session ended and the commission meeting began and went into executive session, Commissioner Albritton made a motion to rescind all three raises. The motion passed.

Leadership has happened in Wilcox County.

Amanda Walker is a blogger and contributor with AL.com, The Thomasville Times, West Alabama Watchman, and Wilcox Progressive Era. Contact her at walkerworld77@msn.com or at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist