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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Ind. Courts - "Clark rejects raise for clerk: Circuit judge and council square off again"
Ben Zion Hershberg has this report today in the Louisville Courier Journal. Some quotes:
After a lengthy and sometimes angry debate, the Clark County Council defeated Circuit Court Judge Dan Moore's request for a $4,000 raise for an experienced clerk he has hired since taking office Jan. 1.Here is a list of ILB entries from June of 2008 headed "New judge's hires stir up controversy."The clerk, Gelsena Smith, has more than 20 years' experience in county and city government and has been a freelance court reporter since 2001, according to documents Moore gave the council yesterday.
"Experience counts," Moore told council members after citing numerous errors in the handling of court documents and schedules by Smith's predecessors.
Councilman Chuck Moore told the judge, "I don't want to call you a crybaby."
Chuck Moore, who is not related to Dan Moore, asked whether errors had happened before when one judge left office and a new one came in.
"It shouldn't have," Dan Moore said.
The judge requested the $4,000 raise for Smith -- which would bring her salary to $32,000 -- for the second time yesterday after the council rejected his request last month.
He said he had gathered additional information to show why the raise was justified.
"I've got a qualified, capable person here," he said.
He said his predecessor, Abe Navarro, fired two experienced clerks when he took office last summer.
If that hadn't happened, Dan Moore said, "those two ladies would be making $31,997" -- about what he wants to pay Smith.
In bringing up the firings, Dan Moore was referring to an incident that embarrassed the council last summer when it agreed to give raises to two people Abe Navarro hired to replace the fired clerks.
They were Navarro's political allies: David Buskill, chairman of the Clark County Republican Party; and Jeremy Snelling, a supporter. [ILB - see below]
After extensive objections from county employees and voters, the council rescinded the raises.
Council President Dave Abbott asked Dan Moore what "didn't you get from our last meeting" when it rejected the raise.
Abbott said the time to seek such raises is in the annual budget process, which begins in September.
He also asked the judge why he had brought a court reporter to last night's meeting to record it.
"I'm making a record," the judge said, adding that he has a right to do so.
Abbott told the judge that he believes that he is planning to file suit against the council if it doesn't approve the raise.
Abbott said "the taxpayers lose" in such a lawsuit because the county would have to pay all legal costs.
Dan Moore said the debate wasn't about a lawsuit; "it's about an experienced person."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 10, 2009 09:30 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts