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October 3, 2008

Kell, Green say they’ll stay on top of comp time

Mike Friend

In light of the recent what appears to be undocumented compensatory time to two departing deputies, the two candidates running for Grady County Sheriff plan to implement new checks and balances should they be elected.

“I have had my own share of comp time within the department and I understand that circumstances call for it. Especially in disaster situations like tornadoes or flooding. It shouldn’t be abused, however,” Democrat Austin Green said.

“If a deputy is leaving the department and has no way to take the earned comp time off, then they should be paid for the time they have earned. And you have to watch it and take it on a case by case basis,” said Green, “but you need to make sure you have adequate coverage for the county at the same time.”

Republican Art Kell agreed.

“The comp time should be managed closely and correctly to make sure it doesn’t get out of control. I would follow the rules and make sure the deputies and staff take off for the accrued comp time, and I would make sure they took it off within the year they earned it…and I would cap it at 100 hours per year, unless something drastic happened like a natural disaster.

“I would make sure there was a supervisor to approve the time and make sure they sign off on it. This will help to hold people accountable for their comp time. The main thing is that something has got to change for the good of the whole county,” Kell said..

Kell and Green both said that deputies work hard and in most situations the compensatory pay system is not abused, and they hope that the recent alleged abuse is isolated to the current administration and a small group of deputies needed.”

At issue is the thousands of dollars paid to former deputies, approved by outgoing Sheriff Kieran McMullen, that appear undocumented. The district attorney has called for a state audit of that issue and other questionable practices by McMullen.

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