By John Howell Sr.

As Panola’s supervisors and other elected officials grapple with reducing the cost of county government, employee payroll is the 800-pound gorilla sitting at the table.

County employees and elected officials received almost $5.8 million in 2008, up from almost $5.5 million in 2007. The figures represent the pay of approximately 182 people who worked full or part time for Panola County last year.

Employees of the sheriff’s department and jail represent the county’s largest payroll.

The $2,171,259 paid to the sheriff and the department’s employees represent 38 percent of the county’s total 2008 payroll, according to figures provided by the office of the Panola County Chancery Clerk in response to a public records request from The Panolian.

The sheriff’s department and jail employed a total of 91 people during 2008, according to payroll records.

The county’s road and bridge departments comprise the next largest payroll with $1,120,362 paid to 40 workers during 2008. The $1.1 million represents 19 percent of county salaries paid.

The office of tax assessor-collector follows with $424,468.04 paid last year to 16 employees including Tax Assessor-Collector David Garner. The total represented 7 percent of annual county payroll.

Justice court, county prosecutor and public defender salaries claimed $335,337.06 or 6 percent of the county payroll during 2008. The figure includes two judges, the county prosecutor, two public defenders and five court clerks.

Panola County Solid Waste employed 20 people during 2008, paying $331,156.45 that represented another 6 percent of the annual payroll.

County supervisors and the board’s attorney were paid $221,379.77, 4 percent of the county payroll.

The Civil Defense and E911 departments paid $206,005.63 to 11 employees, another 4 percent of the payroll.

Circuit Clerk Joe Reid and eight employees of the circuit clerk’s office and circuit court were paid $173,511.50, 3 percent of the payroll.

Four officers of the narcotics task force were paid $154,834.08, another 3 percent of the annual county payroll.

Chancery Clerk Jim Pitcock and eight employees of the chancery clerk’s office and the chancery court were paid $148,284.91, another 3 percent of the total.

Four employees of the office of county administrator were paid $128,429.32. The figure does not include the amount paid to the former county administrator who retired and worked under monthly contract during 2008.

Extension Service employees received $33,334.80 in county payroll funds; the coroner received $32,160.00; and $31,400.75 was paid to election workers, according to the figures.

Paid to three employees of a prevention intervention program was $31,400.75. Four county employees received a total of $28,210 through a federally-funded seasonal law enforcement program. Lunacy and youth court employees were paid $27,503.18 and planning commission employees received $23,988.00. Another $53,302 was paid to employees of various departments and categories including park construction, special construction, receiving, veterans and human services.

Overtime

Employees of the sheriff’s office and jail and the road, bridge and building and grounds maintenance departments also received the most overtime during the year.

The $148,552.51 paid in overtime to sheriff’s department employees represented over 60 percent of the county overtime total of $239,221.06. The $38,037.28 paid to road, bridge and maintenance was about 16 percent of the total 2008 overtime.

Within the sheriff’s department, the two employees who worked the most overtime — 687 hours and 959 hours during 2008 — earned an additional $14, 255.25 and $29,633, respectively, bringing their total pay to $43,031.25 and $72,555.50, respectively.

Three investigators each worked 384 overtime hours in 2008, according to the payroll records. Another sworn officer was paid for 387 overtime hours. Most other sheriff’s department employees worked far fewer overtime hours.

Among county road and bridge employees, the greatest number of overtime hours recorded on the 2008 payroll was 186.98. Thirty-two of 34 road maintenance employees cumulatively accrued 1,287.58 hours of overtime and received $23,932.06 above regular pay. Four employees worked from 111 to 126 overtime hours each. The remainder worked less that 100 hours, many far less.

Four of six bridge department employees received overtime in hourly amounts ranging from 78.16 to 186.98 which paid them $2,455.02 and $5,654.30, respectively, in overtime pay.

Employees of the county’s solid waste department received the third greatest cumulative overtime pay — $22,862.53. Eleven of 20 solid waste employees received overtime in amounts ranging from $1.95 to $4,316.75.

Uncounted in the operation of the county’s solid waste department is free state inmate labor provided by trusties through the sheriff’s department. Two trusties usually work as hoppers on each garbage truck.

The office of county administrator paid the next greatest overtime amount — $14,715.72, about 6 percent of total overtime. Most of that was paid to one employee for 478 hours, boosting the employee’s pay from $40,548.00 to $54,524.72.

Other departments 2008 overtime amounts include Civil Defense and E911, $7,269.85; Building and Grounds, $5,513.28. Chancery Clerk and court, $1,160.59; and Elections, $1,109.30.