By Barbara Augsdorfer, editor for the Effingham Herald

[In a previous article, the Herald mistakenly identified Councilmember Joseph Lee as mayor pro tem. Michael Johnson is Guyton's mayor pro tem, The Herald regrets the mistake.]

Both items on the agenda for the special-called meeting of the Guyton City Council Oct. 21 sparked heated debate among at least two council members, with predictable 3-2 votes on both.

Mayor Andy Harville chaired the meeting and called for motions and votes, but both issues were stubbornly stuck at 3-2 votes. Councilmember Theodore Hamby voted with Councilmembers Joseph Lee and Michael Johnson, while Councilmember Jeremiah Chancey voted in the minority with Mayor Harville.

The council grappled with a “disciplinary appeals” process for Guyton employees and also the pending retirement plan for elected officials.

The appeals process was punted to the city attorney to reconfigure and submit to council at the next meeting.

The retirement plan was kicked back and forth from Lee and Johnson to Harville and Chancey. Hamby did not offer any verbal feedback but voted with Lee and Johnson when votes were called.

Mayor Andy Harville and Chancey reiterated their opposition to the proposal.

“One of the main problems I have with it, is that there's never been a discussion on exactly what was in the retirement plan. We've never discussed what the accrued benefits should be for city council members,” Chancey said. “And in my conversations with GMA (Georgia Municipal Association) about it, they expressed concerns that council members could retire and make more in retirement than they made in (their) council salary.”

Referencing that hired city employees earn only 1.5% in their annual salary toward retirement, Chancey then put a motion on the floor to amend the proposed retirement pay for city councilmembers.

“I make a motion to amend ordinance 2024, dash 0-8 Section Four formula for elected or appointed members of the governing authority to change the retirement benefit to 1.5% of council salary multiplied by years of accredited service,” Chancey challenged.

The motion was seconded by Mayor Harville, and the motion was voted down by a vote of 3-2, with Lee, Johnson, and Hamby voting “no”.

Mayor Harville said he’d like public comment, but then backtracked saying this was the second reading and consideration for approval. The first reading was held earlier this month at the Oct. 8 meeting; and a vote was passed at an earlier meeting to authorize spending $1,200 for a feasibility study; and then another vote for GMA’s input.

Even though no public comment was called for, former mayor Jeffrey Lariscy received permission from Mayor Harville to speak from the audience.

Lariscy said that he compared cities of similar size to Guyton on GMA’s website and discovered that “less than a third” of the cities offer any kind of retirement benefit to their elected officials.

“About 30 percent,” Lariscy said. “The average compensation amount -- where this ordinance is asking for $50 -- the average is $15.25.”

He then reminded the council that they are supposed to be public servants.

“I think anything’s quite too much,” Lariscy continued. “You don’t enter into public service for your own benefit. If you’re in it for the money, you’re in it for the wrong reason.”

Lariscy then challenged Hamby saying, “I believe Councilman Hamby campaigned on a platform against this very issue; and we’re sitting here tonight, he’s going to vote for it.”

Hamby remained silent and did not respond to Lariscy.

Chancey jumped in again saying, “I’m just really curious why we can’t agree that $50 per month of service is too much.”

He then reiterated that a hired employee would have to work 63 years to earn the same amount in retirement as a councilmember would make in just six years of service.

There was some verbal sparring between Chancey and Johnson regarding “driving around Guyton” and “moving limbs and debris” after the recent storms.

“How many work orders have you put in?” Johnson asked Chancey.

“I did that (removing limbs) multiple times during the storm,” Chancey answered. “But I didn’t ask for any compensation because that’s part of my job. That’s what I signed up for.”

The verbal sparring continued for a couple of minutes, then Chancey asked Johnson, “How does this (retirement plan) make the City of Guyton better?

“Right now, you’re qualified to make $750 a month when you retire,” Chancey charged Johnson. “How does that make the City of Guyton better? How are you going to pay for it?”
“The taxpayers are going to pay for it,” Johnson said.

Chancey then made the motion to cap the benefit at 50% of a councilmember’s salary at the time of retirement.

The vote failed 2-3 with Hamby, Lee and Johnson voting “no” and Chancey and Harville voting for.

Johnson then made the motion to accept the retirement package as is from GMA. The motion was seconded by Lee and passed 3-2 with Hamby joining Johnson and Lee with his “yes” vote.

The retirement benefit for councilmembers will go into effect Nov. 12.