By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
HUNTINGDON (December 15) — Employees of the Carroll County Electric Department will receive a five-percent cost of living increase effective January 1, 2023. The CCED Board of Directors approved the increase during the December 15 meeting.
Ryan Drewry, general manager, said the board members address the pay rates each year and review the national consumer price index as a benchmark with which to compare.
The National CPIW was 7.1 percent for the year 2021. Social Security provided a 8.7 percent cost of living increase. For the year 2022, employees received a 7.6 percent increase over the 2021 pay rate.
Board members opted for the 5 percent increase for 2023, equally a 12.6 increase over two years. Employees are also eligible for health insurance paid 100 percent by the company plus a benefit of 12 percent of the employee’s base pay into a retirement plan.
A proposed addition of the Juneteenth holiday was deferred to determine whether or not the County of Carroll adopts the holiday. Juneteenth is a new federal holiday, approved by Congress, to recognize the day the last slave was freed in Texas.
A 6.2 megawatt solar array, proposed in Trezevant by a private company, is awaiting a determination by the Tennessee Valley Authority to see if it meets their guidelines. TVA provides a provision for local distributors to purchase green energy and attach the generation source to TVA power lines for use by the local distributor.
Drewry said private solar system will sell its power to Carroll County Electric at an estimated savings of $250,000 annually to the local distributor. At times, the solar array could produce more energy than the local distributor needs, so the excess would be sold to TVA. The target date for the solar array to be operational is December 2024 and have a 30-year contract with CCED.
New heavy work trucks are far more expensive and require a much longer delivery time, said Drewry. Previously, 330 days were standard from order date to delivery. Now, the delivery time is 1,000 days. The department needs to replace a 2013 model digger truck and a 2006 line truck. Drewry said the department will address the truck needs soon.
The financial audit of CCED, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, produced no adverse findings by the auditors. Kelly Fields, office manager, said there are many transactions and many personnel involved in the day-to-day operations of CCED. There are many employees to thank for the financial operations of the company. The department has $42.02 million in revenues, according to the audit.
The next meeting is January 26, 2023.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here