The Jackson County Commissioners are divided over whether or not to give employees a pay raise this budget cycle. Foregoing the proposed pay raises would loosen up for reapportionment $294,000. Chair Brian McMahan felt the county had invested too much in implementing the current pay system to abandon it. Last year, the county paid for a study that recommended pay increases proportionate to existing incomes. McMahon did not like springing the announcement on employees so soon after raising their insurance deductibles 150%. Commissioner Tom Massie did not think it the role of the commissioners to protect county employees from the same economic challenges faced by everybody else. The article claims McMahon challenged Massie because the $294,000 would not go back to taxpayers, but over $362,621 of the total (Don’t ask me.) will be redirected to the libraries, the Community Table, the animal shelter, the fund balance, the capital reserve, and other funds.