Wednesday, November 26, 1997
Shackelford County constable threatens lawsuit
By KATHI STAPP Correspondent
ALBANY -- Shackelford County commissioners refused again Tuesday
to raise Constable Larry Macon's pay from the budgeted $1 per
month, prompting Macon to threaten a lawsuit and one commissioner
to predict, "We will lose."
In last November's general election, Macon ran unopposed for
the office which had been neither sought nor occupied for 50 years.
Upon learning the office can be abolished only by statewide
constitutional amendment, commissioners eventually agreed to give
Macon minimal compensation -- $1 per month and 50 percent of the
fees for the papers he served.
"But that hasn't worked out," Macon said when he
came back to see commissioners earlier this month and asked for
"reasonable" pay, which he claims he is due by state
law.
County Treasurer Sherry Enloe said records show he has been
paid a total of $75 for serving three civil papers since he was
sworn in. Macon claims he is just not being given papers to serve.
The majority of commissioners said that, under the circumstances,
they thought $1 per month was reasonable. Macon also receives
health and life insurance, $66 a month for mileage allowance,
and other expenses -- a total package of $4,840 a year.
Commissioner Jim Brooks said he feels Macon should be paid
"a liveable wage."
"This is not a reasonable salary. We will be sued and
we will lose," Brooks said.
Macon showed commissioners a log of the hours he has worked
and said that at minimum wage he should be paid $3,072.
Not even Brooks sided with him on that point, however, telling
Macon, "We're all on call 24 hours a day."
Commissioner R.P. Mitchell moved that the salary be left at
$1 per year. County Judge Ross Montgomery voted with the other
three commissioners as Brooks cast the lone vote in favor of Macon.
Macon said he has talked to a private attorney and also to
the attorney general's office, and that he intends to file suit
if that's what it takes to get "reasonable pay."
Macon said he has brought in several hundred dollars for the
county serving arrest warrants for Justice of the Peace Judy Wood,
but is not paid for serving them. Nor has he been paid for serving
as bailiff in JP court, he said.
(Regional Editor Roy A. Jones II contributed to this report.)
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
