最新杏吧原创

ST. CHARLES COUNTY 鈥� County Executive Steve Ehlmann is pledging to look into claims that county workers were reprimanded and denied pay raises after talking with members of the County Council.

The allegations of retaliation were raised during Monday night鈥檚 council meeting by Councilman Dave Hammond, R-O鈥橣allon, and Councilman Joe Brazil, R-Defiance, as well as a union representative for the county鈥檚 corrections officers.

Hammond and Brazil said employees told them they were denied merit-based pay raises because they had spoken directly to members of the county council, bypassing their respective department heads.

鈥淭his is the first I鈥檝e heard of these allegations,鈥� Ehlmann said after the meeting. He said the specific findings of his investigation would likely be closed to the public because they are employee specific, but he said 鈥渨e will report what we can report.鈥�

鈥淢y guess is this whole thing is a lot more complicated than (the councilmen) were told,鈥� Ehlmann said.

Hammond said he was contacted by county building inspectors, including two who were told by a supervisor that they would not be receiving the 3% merit-based pay raise because they had talked to Hammond about how salaries within the department were lagging behind other local governments, including cities in St. Charles County.

鈥淲ell that pisses me off,鈥� said Hammond. He previously worked as a director of county building inspections.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know of any county policies where employees can鈥檛 talk to councilmen,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat is just not right.鈥�

Brazil said he received the same phone calls from employees within the building department as well as two St. Charles County Police officers who spoke to him about creating a mounted patrol unit in the county park system and for special events. He said department heads are acting as a 鈥渂ig bully鈥� when they tell officers and other employees they are 鈥渘ot allowed to speak to me.鈥�

鈥淣ot only is it disrespectful, but it is rude,鈥� Brazil said. 鈥淲hen someone has an idea, they should have a right to express it.鈥�

Ehlmann said after the meeting that there is no rule barring employees from speaking with county officials.

David Reagan, a representative of the corrections department workers, also addressed fears of retaliation during the public comment period of Monday night鈥檚 meeting. He said corrections workers have been working significant overtime due to staffing shortages, but have stopped short of talking about working conditions inside the St. Charles County Jail because they 鈥渁re afraid of retaliation.鈥�

Brazil has said he plans to present a $60,000 budget amendment to create the mounted patrol unit ahead of the Dec. 16 budget deadline.

On Monday, Hammond said he plans to introduce a second budget amendment to increase pay for building inspectors by 6% to match what the county pays its heating and cooling technicians.

Council members questioned where the money would come from.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not my problem,鈥� said Hammond. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the administration鈥檚 problem to find the money.鈥�