The Indispensable Bobby Sherman
Every year, state government employees receive some sort of raise. In recent years, it's been lower, but it has occurred. Usually it is a flat percentage across the board. Because many state employees have served the state for many years, and received raises every year, employees who started out at moderate salaries now receive very comfortable ones. If an employee started as a staff assistant making $24,000 per year, and kept that job for 25 years, with an average raise of 3% (the law actually mandates 5%), that employee would now be making over $50,000 regardless of any change in their duties or responsibilities.
I do not mean to minimize the value of experience or even the value of a good assistant, but that kind of change in salary should really require an increase in responsibilities, a promotion, not just time. Generally, serving a certain amount of time in one position should prepare individuals for the next level of responsibility. They will earn the promotion, be given new responsibilities, and earn a higher salary. A new, less experienced individual will be brought into the old position which has a lower salary. That is the theory of an efficient system.
There is a ceiling on the value of certain positions, and sometimes, instead of raises, it requires graduating the incumbent and bringing in someone new so that salary expectations will match the position's value.
This year, Kentucky's legislators appropriated themselves a 5% annual budget increase (HB 407) with only seven brave votes against it: Reps. Addia Wuchner, Brad Montell, Kevin Bratcher, Jim DeCesare, Bill Farmer, Danny Ford, and Jimmie Lee.
Yesterday, legislative leadership voted 11-5 to give LRC Director Bobby Sherman a 47% pay increase. Of House and Senate Republican and Democratic leadership, only Reps. Jody Richards, Larry Clark, Rocky Adkins, Charlie Hoffman and Sen. Joey Pendleton opposed. Supporters say the $195,000 salary was necessary to keep Mr. Sherman from retiring.
Bobby Sherman has done a fine job at the LRC. That does not mean that someone else could not also do a great job.
Not only is such a drastic increase unnecessary, it basically raises the ceiling on all other LRC salaries. No wonder the Legislative Budget needed such a big hike! This is just another example of how truly unserious our legislators are about using taxpayer money wisely.
