Curry County Commissioner Meetings
Welcome to this New Page
"Commissioner Meetings"
"Commissioner Meetings"
Some of the meetings are so time consuming, so unproductive and and frustrating to some of those attending and, so nasty...; you have to see it to believe it.
These are your tax dollars at work!
These are your tax dollars at work!
The first meeting highlighted here is a "Special Meeting" that was held on November 13, 2013 in the commissioners' annex room.
The Agenda:
"County Fiscal Concerns - Commissioners"
Approximately 18 elected officials, department heads and staff attended.
The Agenda:
"County Fiscal Concerns - Commissioners"
Approximately 18 elected officials, department heads and staff attended.
Video Clip 1 - 11/13/2013
Commission Chair Smith asks staff to project a financial
spreadsheet on a screen. No one was provided
a copy in advance.
Commissioner Brown: "We just got handed this and I haven't had a chance to look at the numbers."
Commissioner
Itzen: "I agree with commissioner Brown. Because I think we need to ask our department heads and elected officials to respond
to your (commissioner Smith) proposal."
Sheriff Bishop: "Quite frankly I'm a little upset that I'm hearing this for the
first time and seeing this (spreadsheet)."
Video Clip 2 - 11/13/2013
Commission Chair Smith rips into commissioner Brown on two separate occasions. (cynical condecending
arrogance)
Commissioner Smith to Brown: "...we've been having this conversation about revenues and timber revenue in the
county long before you (Brown) moved to Curry County commissioner"
Smith continues: "We can talk about paper clips.
We can talk about cutting $100,000 here or $200,000 here. And I'm sorry if I, I read your (Brown) Public Forum piece and
ah, I ya know it's, it would be easy if I wouldn't be so upset if I wasn't ah..."
Woah there Chemosabe! Did you take your
meds today?
Video Clip 3 - 11/13/2013
During the citizen comment period toward the end of the 2 hour meeting commissioners heard this from
a citizen.
"As has always been the case...there was not one word again on cutting benefits. It's always revenue is the
solution. Revenue, revenue."
The commissioners were then challenged to provide the name of one business in the private
sector in Curry County that provided employee benefits comparable to that of the county. They could not or would not.
Commissioner
Smith responded to the citizen citing a conversation he recently had with another citizen regarding wages paid to a jail deputy.
He ended his example with "He (deputy) can make more money working at Donald McDonalds selling Big Macs and french fries."
An
income tax and benefit summary follows at the end of the video.
Commissioner Smith has been asked to provide the location of any
"Donald
McDonalds" in Oregon that provide their employees
"...selling Big Macs and french fries." a compensation
package(including benefits) of nearly $60,000/year.
Video Clip 4 - 11/13/2013
This dialog also occurred during the citizen comment period.
For most of 2013 Curry County
Commissioners have insisted that reserve funds transferred from the county road department to fund road deputies must be repaid back
to the road fund.
As recently as October 29, 2013 commissioner Smith was reported in The Oregonian saying "The county would eventually
have to pay that money back." Hence the county argument that taxpayers must
approve the Tax Levy put before them November 5 (and
before).
Commissioner Smith finally had to admit the funds did NOT have to be paid back. His response after being
caught in a LIE:
Commissioner Smith: "...we could take enough money from the road fund to fund 100 deputies."
"When I speak
loan of the road funds it's, it's my 'moral compass' that is speaking loan from the road fund. The law does allow for a 'take'."
The
commissioner is spending too much time in and around the Bermuda Triangle. Clearly his 'moral compass' is confused!
Benefit Summary:
Curry County Corrections Deputy I - $3,000/month
All costs below are paid by the employer/taxpayer.
Calculations (%) = line item divided by gross wage
Curry County Corrections Deputy I - $3,000/month
All costs below are paid by the employer/taxpayer.
Calculations (%) = line item divided by gross wage
(35%)
(2%)
(8%)
(14%)
(0%)
(5%)
(5%)
(5%)
(2%)
(8%)
(14%)
(0%)
(5%)
(5%)
(5%)
Total paid benefits as a percent of gross wage = (74%)
• Health/dental/optical ins. $1,049/month
• Health medical savings account $50/month
• Social Security/Medicare
• Public Employees Retirement
System (PERS)
• Employee portion of (PERS)
• Holidays - 12 day paid per year
• Vacation - 12 days per year (1st year)
• Sick leave - 12
days paid per year
Video Clip 1 - 2/5/2014
Commissioner Smith apparently disagreed with statements made in a news article by fellow
commissioner Brown.
Smith chose this public meeting as a forum to once again make an ass out of himself at public
expense and on camera.
Smith to Brown: "Commissioner this is very important in my opinion because I believe that your quotes
in this article that are in the paper are not true. You need to be held accountable for your actions in this public statement."
Smith
went on (after Brown walked out of the meeting) with "It's important that the citizens of our county in my opinion have the factual
information especially with regard to our meetings. To have
a board member give misinformation to the public is not OK."
This
coming from a commissioner who recently had a complaint filed against him with the District Attorney for tampering with public records.
Feb. 5th Commissioner Itzen suggested the county pay Oregon Consensus to help the county kiss and make up with the neighboring cities. Cost - only $13,000.
Commissioner Smith followed with another one of his childish tirades.
Commissioner Smith followed with another one of his childish tirades.
New!
Effective July 1, 2014 all county employees including elected officials will now pay the employee portion of the Public Employees
Retirement System (PERS) contribution which is 6 percent of gross payroll. Of course, all employees including elected officials
received a 6.4 percent pay increase in exchange. With the 2.8 percent COLA (Cost of living allowance), this brought the total
pay increase to almost 10 percent
New!
New!