Jones County Commissioners Story for You TCCJ Attendees!

Jones County Jail Fights to Retain and Hire Employees

By Callie Metler-Smith

 

High Turnover and the inability to attract potential jailers took center stage at the Commissioners Court Meeting Monday Morning at 9:00. The jail has 15 jailer positions both part time and full time and 11 of those positions have turned over since July 2012. Carrie Windham, the administrator of the jail, cited the lack of competitive salaries as the reason for the inability to hold and recruit jailers. Windham presented the commissioners with the salaries of the region, showing that Jones County was below the area average. She submitted a suggested pay of $10 for part-time employees, $10 for unlicensed full time employees, $11 for licensed, $12 for an intermediate certification, and $13 and $14 for specific officer positions. The jail currently has two vacancies since they recently hired two new people.

Judge Dale Spurgin informed the court that after doing the math on the salary adjustments, the changes would make a $34,000 change to the county’s budget. Since the county is spending a great amount of time and money on the training and hiring of new employees, some of the expense would be made up if the county could retain employees. Windham said what is happening a lot is that the county is hiring employees and training them, and then they are being recruited by neighboring jails. The change would make a licensed jailer's salary roughly $25,000 a year with another $13,000 going to retirement, health insurance, and other benefit packages. The changes would bring Jones County closer to the area average but still put the county below the average overall. The County Jail currently holds 30 inmates about a 5% increase since they moved locations.

Spurgin said that the money could be found in the county budget by eliminating the outside work crew that maintains over 22 cemeteries around the county. Commissioner Mike Polk expressed concern about stopping this service that has been provided by the county for the past 11 years. No formal action was taken on the purposed changes.

Also at the Commissioner Court meeting the commissioners reviewed two bids from First National Bank of Anson and Citibank also of Anson to be the county’s depository. While both bids were reviewed at the meeting, no action will be taken on the item until the Commissioners March 25th meeting.

Another highlight of the meeting was when Judge Spurgin commented that the Jones County Prison has now been suggested as a possible purchase by the state of Texas after they are contemplating the closing of two other facilities in Texas. Spurgin said the county will probably not know the state’s decision until the end of the current legislative session.