JONESBORO — During its Tuesday, Nov. 21 meeting, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners approved reclassifications for the Solicitor General’s Office that bump up the pay for some positions.
The reclassifications include:
— Deleting five assistant solicitor general positions at Grade 27/Step 17 and adding five assistant solicitor general positions at Grade 31/Step 4. The total cost of the reclassifications is $556,100, up from $537,178.
— Deleting one deputy chief assistant solicitor general position at Grade 33/Step 15 and adding one deputy chief assistant solicitor general position at Grade 34/Step 19. The total cost is $152,448, up from $138,761.
Also included in the vote was a mostly state grant-funded victim services officer position.
The motion originally failed with a 2-2 vote — Jeff Turner and Felicia Franklin voting in favor and Alieka Anderson and Gail Hambrick voting against.
After an explanation by Solicitor General Charles Brooks, Anderson rescinded her vote.
On the re-vote, the measure passed 3-1 with Hambrick as the only opposing.
Commission Vice Chair DeMont Davis was absent from the meeting.
Brooks said the county commission created a parity issue by reclassifying similar positions with the District Attorney’s Office and it “put us out of line” with entry-level positions with the DA’s Office.
He said Solicitor General’s Office employees with equal educations and the same amount of experience were making different amounts than their counterparts at the DA’s Office.
It could put the county at risk of violation of the Fair Labor Standards act, and Brooks added that it could put the county at risk of lawsuits.
Brooks approached the county commission in a June 6 meeting about pay disparities, reclassifications, and having the authority to negotiate pay rates with potential hires.
During the Nov. 21 meeting,…
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