LITTLE ROCK — Cheers broke out from an estimated 100 Pulaski County employees Tuesday night after the county Quorum Court quickly approved a proposal giving a one-time, longevity-based bonus to all county employees, including elected officials.
The county’s legislative body voted 13-0 — Justices of the Peace Teresa Coney and Judy Green were absent — with none of the debate and dissension that has surrounded the proposal over the past few years.
Under the proposal, county employees who were hired before January 2012 and have worked for two years or less will receive a one-time bonus equal to 2.5 percent of their annual salary. Employees with more than two years of employment but less than 10 will receive a 3 percent bonus and those with 10 years or more of employment will receive a 3.5 percent bonus.
The proposal is a way to compensate employees in a year when the county’s projected tax revenue will fall short of what is needed to give traditional raises. The more than $800,000 that will be used for the bonuses will come from a decrease in overall county payroll resulting from unfilled positions.
Justice of the Peace Jim Sorvillo, who voted against the proposal two weeks ago after he unsuccessfully tried to amend it to give equal bonuses to all employees without longevity consideration, voted for it Tuesday night.
“There was probably more equity in it this year than it was last year,” he said after the meeting.
The bonus, which is an amendment to the 2012 budget, will be paid out next month, county officials said. Several elected officials, including members of the Quorum Court, have said they will not accept the bonuses.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 11/29/2012