Letter to the Editor: Are supervisors overcompensated for their time?

I suppose our Jasper County Board of Supervisors deserve a slight pat on the back for not voting a pay raise for themselves this time around. According to the report I read, they currently receive about $47.000 in compensation, with the board chair receiving about $49,500. Not bad for part-time work, I’d say.

It’s a little strange however, that while our Republican elected officials are all gung-ho about the President’s mission to increase government efficiency by slashing government jobs in all departments, and even going so far as to demolish entire departments and all their staff to save money, our local Republican officials are only too happy to cash their own paychecks.

So why are our board members receiving such high pay? I suppose they deserve some compensation for the few hours they put in, but don’t all these board members have other, real jobs outside of their government service? Doesn’t one supervisor have a job at an auto dealership? Isn’t one a farmer? And doesn’t one work in Land and Wildlife Management? Aren’t those salaries enough for them?

So why do they need an extra 40 grand-plus a year? I’d think that half that would be sufficient, or maybe one-quarter even.

If Republicans want to slash spending, how about rethinking their own bloated salaries? I doubt that any of them would end up having trouble paying the mortgage or buying gas and groceries if they were to take a much lower salary than they are currently being paid.

Maybe the $2500 stipend should be enough payment for being “public servants”? Just a thought.

John Moore

Newton