By Linda Dean Cooper
Levy County Government Salary Comparison:
County Commissioners $45,778
New Public Info Officer $74,000
Veterinarian $80,000
Do not be fooled or feel as if the citizens won anything with yesterday’s advertisement for a full-time veterinarian for $80,000. Little has been accomplished by the “sudden” re-advertisement of a veterinarian job for Levy County Animal Control. If you look at the headline, it is obvious that this is a feel-good, throw-us-a-bone ploy and a hope that we will shut up and go away gesture by Levy County commissioners.
Anyone can search on the internet and find that there is a shortage of veterinarians, student loans average $200,000 and the average salary is $121,316, low is $80,890, high is $181.940.
The animal control department has a great kennel that was completed in 2020 with donations from Robert Echols. Echols, founder of For Our Friends the Animals, donated $290,000 for construction of the 50-bed dog shelter at the Levy County Landfill, a facility owned and operated by the Levy County Commission.
I will make this a short post. The advertisement for a full-time veterinarian for $80,000 is unrealistic. Let’s break it down. Commissioners’ salary is $45,778, sometimes we get one that does their job, but most times we don’t and have to wait four years, and hopefully, someone will challenge them for their seat. The new Public Information Officer is a glorified mouthpiece to make the public feel good and make their employers look good. We have an emergency management center that will guide us through a hurricane or other disasters, so we don’t need duplication of services. Most of what a PIO puts out is just canned or as they say “pull it off the shelf” and put out to the public.
Ask yourself why a veterinarian with at minimum eight years of college, $200,000 of student loans, and at best work in a make-shift surgery room at animal control, with no vet tech work for Levy at only $6,000 more than a PIO?
The current animal control manager was transferred from the landfill to animal control. There is a lot of shrouded mystery over why because a lot of the senior members of the BoCC like working in the gray areas of government.
I will say it again, do away with the fluff PIO position at $74,000 salary, put that toward increasing the base salary for the veterinarian, add a part-time or full-time vet tech, and use the rest to slowly upgrade the facilities for proper surgeries, etc.
There was another social media post yesterday day stating the animal shelter is full and don’t bring any animals to the shelter. Commissioners, why can’t you open the shelter on Saturdays, and stagger employees to work hours like the landfill employees? You refuse to hire part-time positions which is puzzling to me. A lot of retired folks live in Levy and would love to work part-time but for some reason is never an option with this board.
Most commissioners are members of Spotlight and can comment at any time on any post. I am not keyboard whipping as I have been accused. I attend BoCC meetings and if any commissioner has an issue with what I post they can comment on Spotlight on Levy County Government FB page or talk to me, in person after a regular meeting. I was a volunteer at animal control for a while but it was more than I could bear. I’ll leave it at that.
I can only hope that the recent re-advertisement was a result of all your phone calls and emails. Continue to pressure the BoCC to do the job they were elected and paid to do.
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Posted January 24, 2024
