The Wayne County Board of Supervisors has postponed a scheduled vote on granting temporary stipends to county employees.
Finance Committee chair Kim Leonard of Macedon told the Finger Lakes Times she pulled the item from the agenda for Tuesday’s board meeting, because five Supervisors were unable to attend. Four had tested positive for COVID-19. The fifth was chair Ken Miller, who recently announced his resignation after requesting medical leave in relation to an incident in March in which he was found unconscious at his home, apparently intoxicated after having failed to attend that night’s scheduled meeting.
Related: Wayne County Supervisors chair Ken Miller to resign
Leonard says there were enough votes to pass the measure without the absent board members, but she says she wants the entire board to vote on it.
The proposal calls for giving full time, non-elected employees $200 per month and part-time workers $100 per month, beginning this month and ending no later than December. County officials say staffing shortages are costing the county $16,000 in daily revenue. They say Wayne County has to compete for workers with other counties, such as Ontario, which has granted its workers retention bonuses for working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related: Ontario County offers stipends to employees using ARPA money, Wayne County may do the same
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