The Segal Waters Compensation and Classification study commissioned by Barry County is a complicated document, pages of numbers and comparisons with wages and duties of those in similar positions in other counties, cities and businesses. So, it is not surprising that few people understand the entire scope of the 85-page report.

In the case of the COA, implementing it has caused confusion and misunderstanding. The COA board, which is not required to follow the county’s method of implementation, first voted to approve the Segal Waters study recommendation that Executive Director Tammy Pennington have a comparable wage of $85,592, but the board approved it up front, instead of over a four-year span, as the county is doing.

The move meant Pennington would get a raise to her $64,117.20 annual salary to $80,641.60 beginning May 1, and an increase of two percent until 2020.

In a special meeting Wednesday morning, the board agreed with a request from Pennington to reduce her salary from $80,641.60 in the first year to $69,971.20 and then follow the four year phase-in as the county is doing.  

Wednesday afternoon Pennington said she had nothing she would add .