Rich responds to pay raise questions

I guess the implication of giving myself a pay raise, which is technically and procedurally impossible, is the sticking point surrounding the question posed at the tea party forum.

During 2007 and 2008, I was the chairman of the Board of Commissioners and seldom voted except to break a tie. In other words the raises in question had already received approval from the other two sitting board members so, in effect, my vote would have made no difference.

The raises I received in the years questioned were done with board approval, meaning two out of three of the board members had voted the increases. I did, however, sign the budget approval document, essentially giving them my OK. I did feel the raises given were deserved as the budgeting process revealed many inequities of rates of pay throughout the county employee roster. The following three years, because of the economic downturn, no raises were voted by the board which I also approved by signature on the budget document.

Now regarding the 2011 statements made, no shame was involved in my decision to not take the 3-percent raise, and there was a lot of discussion surrounding  this issue of whether or not to take the raise in question. That being said the board voted two for and one against for the raises in question. I was the dissenting vote. The sheriff got an almost 25 percent increase, the undersheriff got an almost identical percent increase, and the majority of the remaining Bonner County staff received a 3-percent, cost of living raise. The county raises were a major part of an almost 6-percent increase in the county taxes for most property owners. The preceding three years’ tax increases were held to around 1.5 percent or less.

If there are any more questions regarding this issue please call or email and I will try to answer them. My email is biglew1947@yahoo.com and my phone number is 263-8495, which is in the book. Please refrain from using my county email address or phone number for other than county business.

LEWIS (LEWIE) RICH

Sandpoint

Bonner County commissioner