Chickasaw County Safety Coordinator Resigns, Auditor Changes Course on Deputy Pay
Last week, Chickasaw County Supervisors denied one raise, but didn’t have the authority to stop another.
Things have changed since then.
During their meeting on November 12th, Supervisors were against County Auditor Sheila Shekelton’s plan to raise the hourly wage for her election deputy in the middle of the fiscal year, which runs through June 30, 2025. County Attorney David Laudner noted Supervisors could not stop the raise for a deputy position and, after a brief recess, Shekelton announced her plan was to move forward with the raise.
During Monday’s (11.18) Supervisors’ meeting, Shekelton reversed course.
Also last week, County Safety Coordinator Ranae Carey asked Supervisors to up her pay from the $2,000 salary approved when she took on the duties in April. Carey noted that assessing safety and training efforts in the County over the past six months was like adding a part-time job to her administrative assistant position she already has in the Secondary Roads department.
Supervisors generally agreed a raise is warranted, but voted 4-0 to decline her request (Supervisor Matt Kuhn was absent), also citing opposition to raises in the middle of the fiscal year.
Later that day, Carey submitted her resignation as Safety Coordinator, with Supervisors acknowledging the resignation during their regular meeting Monday morning.
Supervisors will need to find a replacement for the safety coordinator, a position mandated by the County’s insurance carrier.
