CAMERON—Milam County commissioners, meeting in a special session Thursday, heard County Judge Steve Young provide further details on his hope to consolidate most county offices into Cameron’s former hospital.
He also outlined a plan to give county employees a nine-percent raise over the next five years.
ONE-STOP—Young had previously announced a plan to move several Milam County offices, currently located in downtown Cameron, to the former Little River-Cameron Hospital on Crockett Street.
He said the plan involved a trade of current office space for the hospital, which closed last year when Little River Healthcare went bankrupt and shut down all its Milam County facilities.
Young said there are potentially large cost savings in moving county offices to a “one-stop shopping” scenario.
“Currently we are heating and cooling about 70,000 square feet in downtown Cameron,” he said. “The old hospital building is 34,000.”
He noted the major expense in the plan would be re-purposing the hospital into office space, at a estimated cost of about $1.5-million. He envisioned borrowing the funds and repaying them over seven years.
Offices to be affected would include those in the Blake Building, former Manning Shoe Building, County Tax Office, Adult Probation Building, County Health Department Buildings at 207 and 211 Houston and possibly the Milam Appraisal District (AD) Building.
RAISE—Young outlined the recent history of county employees pay and recommended an increase.
“We are paying $12 and hour, plus benefits,” he said. “I’ve been told you can work at (Cameron) Dairy Queen for $12.50 an hour, plus benefits.”
Young said he believed the increase is possible without raising taxes due to recent increases in appraisals and a substantial jump in sales tax due to the Valero Pipeline and oil-gas area in the county’s southeastern quadrant.
MONDAY—Commissioners also met in regular session Monday and unanimously approved overtime pay for Milam County employees at the department head’s and/or elected official’s discretion until the Employee Policy Manual is amended.
Commissioners also presented awards to student participants in the recent countywide moot court competition, held in the county courthouse.
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