What type of training do our elected county officials receive? By KAREN KENNEDY When an elected county official is sworn into office, he or she may begin office with the express desire to make our county a better place in which to live yet possess little or no applicable training for the job. That’s where the “Elected County Officials Training Program” kicks in. Kentucky’s training incentive program for elected county officials began with the enactment of House Bill 810, effective in January 1999. The program offers county judge executives, fiscal court members, county clerks, sheriffs and jailers an annual financial incentive to participate in continuing training relevant to their official duties. Available training includes titles such as Creating a Competitive Economic Development and Workforce Advantage, County Budget Workshop, KY Transportation Safety Summit, Motor Vehicle Usage Tax Training, Voting System and Accessibility Training Session, In-service Jail Training, Annual Jail Improvement Conference, Records Management Overview, Deputy Jailer Training, Legislative Training for County Officials, Psychology of Disaster and Terrorism, Economic Development: The Business of Bringing Industry to your County, Planning: The Foundation of Your Community’s Future, and various programs offered during annual conventions and conferences hosted by state. Much of the training offered is hosted by the Kentucky Magistrates and Commissioners Association, Kentucky Association of Counties, Kentucky County Judge Executive Association, Kentucky County Clerks Association, Lincoln Trail Area Development District, Kentucky Jailers Association, as well as other agencies and private vendors. While it is suggested and encouraged, county officials are not required to complete training. The “Elected County Officials Training Program” requires 40 hours of training be completed during a calendar year in order for the training participant to receive economic compensation for that year’s training. If an official exceeds 40 hours during one calendar year, the hours in excess of 40 may be carried over and credited to the next calendar year. Currently, annual compensation for completing 40 hours (one unit) of training is $798.45. To explain how compensation works, if a county official completes 40 hours or more in 2003, he would receive the $798.45. If in 2004, that same county official again completes 40 hours or more (his second unit of training), this time he would receive double the compensation – $1,596.90 – for having now completed a total of two units. In 2005, having received at least another 40 hours (third unit), this time the county official would receive triple compensation – $798.44 x 3 – to equal $2,395.35 for the completion of three training units. In 2006, it would be four times whatever that year’s compensation rate happens to be, and the compensation rate goes up slightly each year. However, if a county official is re-elected to office, he starts the process all over again beginning with whatever the basic compensation rate happens to be during his first year of office. Meade County also reimburses county officials for travel expenses – such as gasoline for personal vehicle, food, and overnight lodging – incurred during their training. For food and lodging expenses, there are specified economic limits. Magistrates receive a $3,000 expense check provided by Meade County for various expenses they incur during the course of their public service. The current annual salary paid to magistrates in Meade County is $6,447.30.
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