CORRECTION: Mobray was incorrectly quoted as saying 40 miles. It has been corrected to 24.
Monday’s meeting of the Dent County Commission was called to order by county clerk Angie Curley, since presiding commissioner Darrell Skiles was absent. Wes Mobray was appointed as acting presiding commissioner.
During public comments, Mobray said he had some things he needed to say about comments during a radio appearance by Skiles Friday. Mobray said Skiles first talked about the county budget hearing, in which Larson and Mobray had voted to adopt the budget, but Skiles voted no. Skiles later commented that he supported the raise for county employees, but not elected officials, Mobray said.
“Before the tentative budget was put out, Darrell did agree to the 4%,” Mobray said. “Angie stood right next to him. He asked Gary if we wanted to do the 4%. Gary said yes, Darrell said yes, I said yes, we all agreed on it. Come the budget hearing, he totally changes his story. That needs to be put out there, I think. It’s like he’s slamming all of us but he’s not telling the full story.”
Larson also brought up a previous salary committee meeting. At the time, Skiles made allusions that the meeting was deliberately scheduled so that he would be absent, Larson said.
“I personally called Becky, she said he had the option to change that date and he did not,” Larson said. “And then he got mad because they did it when he wasn’t there.
Larson said he was confused by Skile's decision to vote no on the budget adoption.
“Angie looked at him and went ‘Are we OK with this?,’ and he looked at me and looked at Wes, ‘are we OK with this?’ But then when it comes time to approve it in the budget hearing it’s all changed again. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know.”
Mobray said that despite the county looking to save money, Skiles charges mileage to come to work. Mobray says he is allowed by statute to charge his mileage, but that nobody else does.
“Me and Gary don’t charge for that. If we go to a meeting or something like that, sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t. But nobody else, none of my guys, nobody gets paid to come to work 24 miles a day,” Mobray said.
Jamie Homeyer, who entered the room with other elected officials for Mobray’s comments, offered her thoughts.
“Have we broken any laws?” she asked.
“For what?” replied Larson.
“For anything. We haven’t broken any laws, us all sitting here, we haven’t gone against any statute, we haven’t done anything wrong,” Homeyer asked. “We have a difference of opinion, all of us against one, is the way I see it.”
Mobray then read statute 50.333.
“The salary commission cannot vote more of a percentage than the employees, so everyone got 4%. The extra was by statute on assessed value,” Mobray said.
Curley said elected officials cannot take more of a Cost of Living (COLA) increase than they give the employees.
Larson then offered comment about a recent inclement weather discussion. During Skiles’ report in the Jan. 30 meeting, he said he wanted to clarify that on Jan. 25, the commission did not close the courthouse. According to Skiles, office holders and their employees were not at work that day.
“That’s fine, every office holder has the prerogative to close their office for whatever reason. But here’s where the rub begins,” he said. “According to policy, if the commission elects not to open due to weather, employees with full time will be compensated in accordance with county policy regarding holidays.”
Skiles said that payroll had been submitted requesting payment for that inclement weather day, despite the commission not having officially closed the courthouse.
“Angie is in charge of her two, Jamie is in charge of her three, (treasurer) Denita (Williams) is in charge of herself,” said Larson Monday. “If they decide to give them the day off, they have to answer to the auditors if there’s a problem there, we don’t as a commission. It’s none of our business, is how I feel about it.”
Mobray agreed.
“Once we approve that budget, then our name is out of it, unless someone goes over budget, then it’s our problem, but that’s never happened. Once that budget is approved, it’s all theirs. We have no say in whatever they do, they’re elected officials just like we are,” said Mobray.
Thursday meeting
During the Thursday meeting of the Dent County Commission, Deloris Gray Wood with the Dent County Historical Society spoke to the commission about a new program called “Telling the Story of the Current River From the Road.”
Wood said that the DCHS plans to put up interpretive signs at historical locations in the area.
“We have a lot of history that was here on the Current River before it became a national park. We’d like that history recorded and told someplace,” she said.
Wood asked the commission if they would install the signs, provide posts and the hardware.
“The goal is all about Dent County and the upper Current River here,” she said.
Wood listed many locations for signs that are rich in Dent County history.
No official action was taken, and the commissioners asked Wood to keep checking in as she receives more information about the project.
In other news
• The commission approved a contract with the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. The measure passed 3-0.
• District 1 Commissioner Mobray reported that crews were patching chip-and-seal asphalt and salting roads.
• District 2 Commissioner Larson reported that crews were working on the shop loader and other equipment, and they sent someone to Willow Springs to buy parts for the loader.
• Presiding commissioner Skiles reported that he’d gone to Jefferson City to meet with six other Missouri Association of Commissioner board members. He said they visited with various senators and representatives about county issues, mainly unfunded mandates and jail per-diem issues.
“The commissioner’s association is committed to have a little more presence up there any time that we can,” Skiles said. “It’s just important that they see and hear from us about what’s going on.”
Skiles also attended the annual IDA board meeting. Chris Holiday was elected board president, with Dean Jones elected vice president. Bob Parsons was elected secretary/treasurer.
Skiles says there was a presentation by Salem City Administrator Sally Burbridge and alderman Shawn Bolerjack about a proposed 1% city sales tax and sewer bond ballot items.
• Curley reported that she had applied for a $3,075.28 election efficiency grant. She says the grant assists with elections, equipment, voter lists and equipment purchases.
