Lydia Curtis Johnson
The register of deeds in Franklin County, Tenn., claims in a Chancery Court action that the county finance committee ignored multiple requests for staff salary increases, undermining her ability to run the county office with competent employees.
According to the petition filed July 7, Lydia Curtis Johnson disagrees with "the compensation for her deputies and assistants, as set forth in the budget adopted by the county legislative body and, therefore, cannot enter into a letter of agreement with the county mayor."
Johnson asks the court for an order authorizing salaries for four positions: administrative supervisor II, administrative supervisor I, and two administrative clerks.
The petition sets the salaries at $21.50 an hour for the supervisor II post, $19.50 an hour for the supervisor I post and $18.50 an hour and $18.05 an hour, respectively, for the clerk positions, court records show. It asks the salaries be retroactive to July 1, the start of the fiscal year.
Johnson says the finance committee and county mayor violated state law regarding the officeholder's "discretion and authority to set the salaries of her office and to determine the needs of her department within budget limitations and the availability of funds," records state. The petition names County Mayor Richard Stewart as the respondent.
Stewart on Friday said Johnson never brought the salary issues up in finance committee discussions as far as he knew.
He said Johnson has a right to challenge county officials, but "I am going to contest it, and I expect the County Commission will see it the same way," Stewart said. He said the county has 20 days to respond.
Johnson's petition states that she had made the salary requests but the finance committee ordered the finance director not to include any line-item salary request in the 2016-17 budget. It said she spoke to several commissioners about salary disparities among county employees during workshops.
Johnson contends that commission resolutions regarding salaries conflicted with state law "and violate the equal pay for equal work concept" and that "[t]he only pay raises that would be allowed would be the ones the county commission would suggest and approve."
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or on Twitter @BenBenton or on Facebook at www.face book.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.