A proposal that would eliminate four county positions in order to fund raises for road department employees is advancing to the full Jefferson County Quorum Court following committee approval.
The measure would give County Judge Gerald Robinson the authority to cut four positions, with the resulting funds redistributed among employees in the road department.
Support for the proposal among justices of the peace was divided.
Justice Reginald Johnson voiced opposition to the measure.
Johnson went on to say the way the road department is operating is a a failure in his eyes.
Justice Patricia Royal-Johnson expressed support, backing the plan to reallocate funds to boost employee pay, saying that the public needs to actually investigate who is and who isn’t voting for funds to repair roads.
In a separate matter, a proposal to pay County Attorney Terry Wynne was tabled during the meeting after several justices raised concerns about his role.
Some members argued that Wynne is not the attorney of record for the Quorum Court. Justice Alfred Carroll stated that the County Judge does not have the authority to hire an attorney on behalf of the Quorum Court, adding to the concerns surrounding the payment request.
Both matters are expected to be revisited during an upcoming meeting of the full Quorum Court.
