Horry County Council, administrator, misspending tax dollars on salary
Mark Lazarus and the Horry County Council have failed the citizens of Horry County, again.
An April 23 article in The Sun News by Jason M. Rodriguez, “Council and Administrators Agree on Extension,” reported that the council and county administrator Chris Eldridge, County Administrator agreed to extend Eldridge's contract.
The article states that the County Administrator currently makes $157,624.48 a year. Beginning July 1, 2015, Eldridge's salary jumps to a whopping $170,000 per year and will increase by $10,000 annually. He will also get a $9,600-a-year vehicle stipend that increases by 4 percent a year until it peaks at $10,798 in July 2018.
With a salary that big, he can't afford his own vehicle? Also, why does the administrator deserve a six-month severance package if either party terminates? Most employers give just 30 days.
It was just a couple of weeks previous that Eldridge and the council were looking to cut county employees’ benefits to avoid a tax hike. What makes Eldridge and the council think he is worth such a salary? And an additional $10,000 a year, plus a vehicle stipend? Nobody in any government is worth that salary. They are not that intelligent nor do they perform miracles.
This is what drives up costs and creates bad morale among lower-level employees. There are lots of unemployed and likely more talented people who would do Eldridge's job just as well for less money and without a vehicle stipend.
The council members should be embarrassed that they pulled this contract over on the county taxpayers and the citizens should demand the council members be replaced by people who are willing to hold the line on costs.
If the council is willing to take benefits away from lower-level employees, why not hold the over inflated salary of the County Administrator to the same standard. The Horry County Council and County Administrator are just rip-off artists with no ethics.
The writer lives in Conway.
This story was originally published May 8, 2015 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Horry County Council, administrator, misspending tax dollars on salary."