Houdini Pay Package For Harry
Not content with pulling a $9.5-million rabbit out of the hat to bolster county revenue projections, county commissioners on Tuesday night worked some more money magic when they trimmed County Manager Harry Jones’ total pay package and simultaneously tossed him a nearly $27,000 pay hike.
Commissioners nixed Jones’ performance bonus from future total compensation packages, but tied a nice bow on the one for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1, increasing his annual base pay from $215,655 to $242,500, a jump of $26,845.
Jones had previously been eligible to collect up to 30 percent of his base salary as a performance bonus and last year received a $38,400 pick-me-up, when the county was wallowing in debt, firing staff, and reeling to close a massive budget deficit.
Under the new pay structure, Jones will have also have the county match to his 401(k) plan eliminated, a move he had previously approved for all county staff. As such, the county manager’s total compensation package for the coming fiscal year dips 6.6 percent, down to the pauper’s take of $283,000.
But that could be subject to change. As part of the new pay plan, Jones’ base salary could be adjusted in future years based on the “prevailing market rate” for his position. Judging by the base salary bump worked into Jones’ pay for the new fiscal year – a $27,000 hike – that market rate is headed nowhere but up.
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