Jefferson County Commissioners Generate Hilarity
Recently, a vast oil field was found in the Gulf of Mexico, a significant untapped resource that could greatly benefit Southeast Texas.
And if hilarity could be an alternative energy source, as it is in the movie "Monsters Inc.," then the Jefferson County Commissioners Court could be a gusher.
Normally, I'm not very political. Call me a Republicrat or a Democritan. I am a political peg that doesn't fit in either the Democrat or Republican holes. I keep up with politics because it's my job, and I prefer local politics over national or world politics, but I don't obsess or get my boxers in a bunch over it.
But I have to laugh at commissioners' recent fountain of comedy regarding pay raises for themselves and the tax rate.
Here we are, some of us still digging out from Hurricane Rita's physical and bureaucratic rubble, and the commissioners not only want to increase their tax revenues but give themselves a whopping 18 percent raise. Meanwhile, much of Ford Park continues to serve primarily as a non-profit turf-growing farm.
To justify their raise, they did a study comparing themselves to their counterparts in LARGER counties.
Commissioner Mark Domingue last month made the comment that it would be hard to attract talented, qualified people to run for public office unless elected officials' salaries were competitive.
Hence the proposed pay increase from $73,362 to $86,508. That's almost twice the salary of an average Jefferson County resident. It's certainly well above what I make. I'd be happy to serve as commissioner for that kind of money.
Last night, Domingue offered up another doozy, comparing commissioners' jobs to that of a city manager. Billy Job, the Republican candidate for county judge, probably wasn't far off when he noted that city managers probably do more in a day than a commissioner does all week.
Commissioners primarily oversee road maintenance. City managers have roads, too, as well as garbage, water, sewer, police, fire, municipal courts and a whole lot more to juggle.
Again, I'm relatively apolitical, but I can't help but point out that the commissioners court has no clothes!
And if hilarity could be an alternative energy source, as it is in the movie "Monsters Inc.," then the Jefferson County Commissioners Court could be a gusher.
Normally, I'm not very political. Call me a Republicrat or a Democritan. I am a political peg that doesn't fit in either the Democrat or Republican holes. I keep up with politics because it's my job, and I prefer local politics over national or world politics, but I don't obsess or get my boxers in a bunch over it.
But I have to laugh at commissioners' recent fountain of comedy regarding pay raises for themselves and the tax rate.
Here we are, some of us still digging out from Hurricane Rita's physical and bureaucratic rubble, and the commissioners not only want to increase their tax revenues but give themselves a whopping 18 percent raise. Meanwhile, much of Ford Park continues to serve primarily as a non-profit turf-growing farm.
To justify their raise, they did a study comparing themselves to their counterparts in LARGER counties.
Commissioner Mark Domingue last month made the comment that it would be hard to attract talented, qualified people to run for public office unless elected officials' salaries were competitive.
Hence the proposed pay increase from $73,362 to $86,508. That's almost twice the salary of an average Jefferson County resident. It's certainly well above what I make. I'd be happy to serve as commissioner for that kind of money.
Last night, Domingue offered up another doozy, comparing commissioners' jobs to that of a city manager. Billy Job, the Republican candidate for county judge, probably wasn't far off when he noted that city managers probably do more in a day than a commissioner does all week.
Commissioners primarily oversee road maintenance. City managers have roads, too, as well as garbage, water, sewer, police, fire, municipal courts and a whole lot more to juggle.
Again, I'm relatively apolitical, but I can't help but point out that the commissioners court has no clothes!
posted by Brian Pearson at 2:47 PM
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