Beaufort County Commissioners Make Another Bad Decision | Eastern North Carolina Now

    It was a small decision compared to Beaufort County's spending on the on the order of 69 million dollars per year. Make enough small bad judgments can be the same as one big one. I believe in the saying "manage the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves".

    At the July Commissioners meeting a proposal was made to upgrade a job that has to be filled because of the retirement of a county employees. The proposal was to up grade that position from an average salary of $38,491 to and average salary of $48,4055. That is an increase of ten thousand dollars. The reason given are because the new employee would be required to have the ability to handle several computer programs, data and prepare computer reports.

    The new parts of the job description emphasize in writing in the job description are as follows:

    "Work includes compiling data, managing technology in all areas of Emergency Services including emergency management, fire, EMS and animal control. Work includes specializing in the use of computer programs including Orion Disaster Pre-Planning and Damage Assessment Software, Image Trend Fire Reporting, Emergency Medical Services Record Keeping and Software and Web-EOC' and at another place,

    "Mastery in the use of information technology equipment and associated software products such as word processing, spread sheets, and data bases used in area of work assignment".

    Now comes the problem. Desired education is from a college with a associate degree in business or office technology.... Note this is desired and not required. I made the statement that we should require the holder of the new job to have a formal degree not just desire that they have a formal degree. The presenter of this proposal, Carney Hedgepeth, refused to agree to requiring formal education for this highly technical job. That was a red flag tome.

    I made the statement that it seemed the person had already been selected and they did not have the proposed education. This is an inside maneuver to get good buddy a pay increase or to get a favored person a job.

    Then Hedgepeth went personal and beoming irate that I was accusing him of dong something unethical. When people turn red faced and become personally insulted only one of two things are going on. Either what they have been accused of is true or they do not have the skill to handle uncomfortable situations. He had a easy out. Simply require the person to have a degree. After all school teachers earn in this salary range and they have to have a four year degree and pass a licensing test.

    I did not vote for this. I believe it is my responsibility to see to it that the county gets its money's worth. Hiring good buddy is not an answer. We already have too much of that.