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Show Tippetts labels filing of suit Untimely' By GARY R. BLODGETT FARMINGTON Davis County Coun-ty Commission Chairman Harold Tippetts said today that the "untimely "un-timely filing" of a civil suit against the county commission by a group of county employees was "politically "politic-ally motivated." The plaintiffs in their suit seek immediate payment of the alleged merit raise agreement and claim that the money received earlier was a "bonus" and should not be a part of the merit raise. Plaintiffs in the case claim that the DCEA protested the proposed bonus plan when it was first announced last fall when the county coun-ty budget was being prepared. DCEA representatives allege that if funds were available for the pur- chase of property, that money should have been used to give the employees a pay raise. Com. Tippetts stressed that all county employees have a good salary sal-ary and benefits package and that the offer from the county to give a "bonus" instead of a merit raise "was a good offer under the circumstances." cir-cumstances." "We didn't have the funds to meet the requests of a merit raise at the time the budget was prepared, nor do we have the funds now," said Com. Tippetts. "We appreciate appreci-ate our employees and did all that we could for them." He said that the commission was criticized at the time for not giving a 3.45 percent merit raise that was requested by the Davis County Employees' Association (DCEA). Instead, all county employees received re-ceived a "bonus" of up to $500 which was based on evaluation and time of employment. But the merit raise the employees em-ployees are seeking in the civil suit cropped up again several weeks ago when the county commission agreed to purchase 57 acres of property in West Farmington at a cost of $650,000. This money, the commission explained, was interest in-terest earned on bond sales for two hospitals that were never built. County Attorney Melvin Wilson said he was not aware of court action ac-tion being used by employees to get money from a government agency, and felt that the charges against the commission "do not have any legal merit." Plaintiffs (employees) listed in the law suit include Brian L. Weese, Curtis C. Anderson, Robert S. Davis, Catherine Lynch, Debra Barber; Phyllis Gleave, David Brenner and Robert Hunt. The charge is a "class action" suit against the county commission on behalf of all county employees. Commissioner Tippetts said the filing was extremely untimely for him as a candidate because the story hit the press just before the Primary Election. "There's no question in my mind but what the charges were politically motivated," moti-vated," he said. "I'm disappointed that we have such selfish employees working for the county," he said. "It's apparent appa-rent that they don't want to cooperate cooper-ate with the county, and that they have selfish motives behind their actions." |