By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
PUTNAM COUNTY – Putnam County employees will be seeing a little extra cash on their pay checks Oct. 29 after county commissioners approved a plan to reward them for their dedication throughout the COVID pandemic. The proposal will cost an estimated $1,660,000 that will come from the $15.5 million that Putnam County is receiving in COVID relief funds under the American Rescue Plan.
“Our employees worked through the pandemic to keep all the county departments open and services provided to our citizens,” Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said. “The county commission wanted to reward them for the great job and risk they put themselves through.”
The motion to give $3,000 to full-time employees and $1,500 to part-time employees who worked at least 500 hours last fiscal year was made by Commissioner Darren Wilson after much discussion. Wilson’s motion passed 13-7 with three abstentions and one absent. Commissioner Teresa Tayes, who is employed by the county was prohibited from voting on the measure.
Voting against the motion were District 1 Commissioners Jonathan A.D. Williams and Kevin Christopher; District 5 Commissioners Cindy Adams and Terry Randolph; District 7 Commissioners A.J. Donadio and Grover Bennett; and District 10 Commissioner Joe Iwanyszyn.
