BEDFORD – During a meeting on Tuesday, members of the Lawrence County Council discussed additional funding requests and salary increases from different county departments, including the Treasurer, Circuit Court, and Prosecutor’s Office.
Circuit Court Judge Nathan Nikirk requested an additional $22,618.54 to replace the carpet in the courtroom.
Nikirk received two bids for the work, the first for the requested amount from Axsom Flooring, and the other from The Living Room Center at $18,044.00. Though there was a less expensive option, Nikirk requested the council approve the higher bid because they carry the courtroom’s existing floor style. Nikirk’s request was approved by the council in a 5-0 vote.
Lawrence County Treasurer Jody Edwards requested a salary increase for her second deputy, Lori Blackwell, due to her experience.
According to Edwards, Blackwell has 15 years of experience working for the county, including assisting the treasurer’s office during tax collection. She asked the council to consider increasing her salary to compensate for her 15 years of experience, making it $39,533, or increasing her payscale to five years of experience in the amount of $36,383. The council approved an increase to the five-year amount in a split vote of 3-2, with members Rick Butterfield and Julie Chase voting in opposition.
The Council also heard requests for additional funds from Lawrence County Prosecutor Samuel Arp.
The first was for $31,973, which would serve as the annual salary for a receptionist, which would be a new position for the office. Arp explained to the council that he was looking for more help in his office and would be able to fund the salary through the end of 2023, but would require the support of the council to pay the salary beyond that point. After council discussion, the matter was tabled in a 4-1 vote to be discussed at a later date, with council member Julie Hewetson the dissenting vote.
Arp also requested an additional $10,000 to add a new line in his budget for an expert witness. According to Arp, the funds are necessary to pay an expert witness that is needed for a trial scheduled for May. After discussing potential funding options, the matter was tabled in a 5-0 vote by the council to allow time to explore potentially using funds from the Infraction Deferral Fees Fund.
