Jefferson County judge signs off on payroll, issues court order withholding two paychecks
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ark. – Around 400 Jefferson County employees will be getting their paychecks after an ongoing controversy, although a day late.
Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson signed off on the county payroll Wednesday. The development came after the judge refused to sign off on payroll for the April 30 pay period multiple times because of two employees he said should not get paid.
The day started with county employees coming into work at 8:30 a.m. but when the payroll hadn’t been signed off by 9 a.m., they walked out.
Earlier Wednesday, the judge finally signed off but issued a court order directing the county clerk to hold the two paychecks that are in question.
“We have a court order, directing the county clerk to issue paper checks so that all the employees can get their checks, and we withhold those two checks from the other two employees,” Robinson said.
KARK 4 News contacted the county clerk Shawndra Taggert and she said her position remains the same as it was last week when the original court order was filed to withhold nearly $5,000 that includes payments to the two county employees, saying she doesn’t have the authority nor does the county judge to remove, or make changes, to any elected official’s payroll submission for their employees.
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A representative from her office said she did not withhold the two checks, and gave them to the department head, which in this case is County Assessor Gloria Tillman.
“If she doesn’t hold those two checks, then she’s violating that court order,” Robinson said.
The county judge said he wants the pay for those two employees, who work in the assessor’s office, withheld due to what he believes is nepotism and unwarranted sick leave.
Tillman spoke out, saying she believes her employee rightly accumulated the sick leave she is asking for.
The other employee is a relative of Tillman’s but was employed by her office before Tillman took office, which she said Robinson agreed to at the time.
Robinson said he is following county ordinances that prohibit nepotism and has received complaints about the sick leave from other county workers. If the county clerk does not withhold the checks, he said he is pursuing legal action.
Justice of the Peace for District 5 Lloyd Franklin II said he is concerned with how Robinson handled it.
“I’m happy that the employees will receive payment today in the form of paper checks, but at the same time i still have concerns,” Franklin said.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Robinson by Tillman for damages caused by the delay of pay. Robinson said he never wanted other employees to get caught in the middle.
KARK 4 News contacted Tillman, who said she did give the paychecks to her two employees and added she’s glad this has been resolved.
Dispute between judge and clerk’s office may delay pay to Jefferson County employees
We have also reached out to Attorney General Tim Griffin who said he is following the situation closely.
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