Carroll County
Mayor Kenny McBride |
 |
Carroll Co.
Sheriff Bendell Bartholomew |
HUNTINGDON (July 18) – A motion was filed
Wednesday, July 16 asking Judge Allen W.
Wallace to dismiss Carroll County Sheriff
Bendell Bartholomew’s lawsuit against county
Mayor Kenny McBride, fiscal agent for the
county of Carroll. Retired Senior Judge
Wallace of Waverly was assigned the case
after circuit judges Creed McGinley and
Donald Parish both recused themselves.
Robert T. Keeton, Jr., attorney for McBride,
filed the motion to dismiss the lawsuit
originally filed August 31, 2007 by Attorney
Matt Maddox on behalf of the sheriff.
Keeton’s motion claims plaintiff Bartholomew
failed to prosecute the case in a timely
manner and did not seek a trial date or move
the cause in any manner to determine the
merits of his allegations. Additionally, the
motion indicates Bartholomew’s request for
pay raises for his department’s personnel in
the 2007-2008 fiscal year is now moot after
the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008.
The lone hearing in the case concerned a
motion by Bartholomew to exclude Robert
Keeton, II from representing McBride. That
motion indicated Keeton represented
Bartholomew in some earlier cases, both
professionally and individually. After a
hearing in open court and a recess meeting
of attorneys and the judge in the judge’s
chambers, Maddox withdrew Bartholomew’s
motion to exclude Keeton.
Bartholomew lawsuit requested a $1.3 million
increase in the 2007-2008 fiscal year
budget, pay increases ranging from 28.2
percent for the chief deputy to 6.1 percent
for jailers, 14 new patrol cars, nine of
which to replace the three-year-old fleet of
Crown Victorias, a four-wheel drive
Expedition for himself, and nine additional
deputies. Bartholomew indicated his
personnel are paid less than comparable
sheriff’s departments and that his personnel
are seeking jobs elsewhere because of the
pay differential.
In July 2007, McBride said Bartholomew’s
request would necessitate a 47 percent tax
rate increase. According to McBride, each of
the deputies, investigators, and chief
jailer drive a county-owned car to and from
work and the county pays 75 percent of the
employees’ and their dependents’ major
medical insurance premiums.
During the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the county
leased nine new Crown Victorias for road
deputies as budgeted and provided a
three-percent pay raise for all county
personnel, including deputies, jailers, and
dispatchers. |
The McKenzie Banner
