FAIRHOPE — After a debate that lasted for almost half of their one-hour work session Monday, Aug. 15, the Baldwin County Commission voted 3-1 the following day to rescind a $23-million 30-month pay supplement for employees.

In his second meeting after being sworn onto the commission, Matt McKenzie cast the only vote against the proposal to discontinue the supplements as of Dec. 31.

The commission voted in June to approve the extra pay of $700 a month for full-time employees, before McKenzie was appointed to the seat vacated by Joe Davis.

McKenzie said the commission should not revoke the entire additional two months after employees were told they would be receiving it.

"What's the issue with taking it away from the employees now? What's the reason to take it away? We just gave it to them two months ago," McKenzie said. "To me, it's a retention to keep these employees and I know that y'all approved it the last commission."

The money would be paid under the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The end date for the payments was Sept. 30, 2022, on the resolution presented to the commission at the work session Monday. After the discussion, the date was changed to Dec. 31.

Commissioners Billie Jo Underwood and Jeb Ball said the resolution submitted in June did not include a total and both thought the plan was a one-time payment of $750,000, not 30 monthly payments.

"Never, ever did I hear that this was this much money," Underwood said. "Maybe I was supposed to do the math. Maybe I supposed to multiply $750,000 by 30 and come up with that amount of money, but not once had the commissioners been brought in on a discussion as to how this money was to be spent, except for that agenda item that you are referring to."

"This was not really transparent because I didn't get it and I blame myself," she added later.

Underwood said she learned of the commitment after asking how much ARPA money was still available for Baldwin County. She discovered that the supplement would use up more than half the $43 million in ARPA funding for Baldwin County.

"I found out that we only had so many million left that wasn't allocated, but we had quite a bit left that wasn't spent and it was brought to my attention that $22 million of your $43 million has been allocated for TPP pay, Temporary Premium Pay payments," Underwood said.

Ball said the wording on the June resolution also left him with the impression that payment was a one-time offering.

"I'm totally not in favor," Ball said. "I saw the number $750,000 and I thought that was the number. I didn't know it was $750,000 for 30 months. I can't sell this to the public as far."

Commissioner Charles "Skip" Gruber said Monday that he did not recall the June resolution including a total, but the commission is responsible for its actions.

"This was brought up back in June and we discussed all this. We did not know the total amount. I'll agree with that, but this commission knew what they were doing with that," Gruber said. "It did not state how much it was going to be, but it was still something that this commission did and to go back now and slap the employees in the face is not, in my opinion, the smartest thing to do."

Gruber said Tuesday that the change in date was a compromise that will allow commissioners to study the plan and discuss the issue with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama.

"I think after our meeting with ACCA we should be able to address this and look at it," Gruber said. "We'll have a better, clear understanding of what's supposed to be allowable out there and make sure that we follow the protocol set forward by the U.S. Treasury Department so that everything is above board."

McKenzie said revoking a promise to employees would create a poor impression for commissioners.

"I just feel like if we do this, it's political suicide for me. It's political suicide for all of us," McKenzie said. "Yes, the employees are going to be upset. Yes, the citizens are going to be upset, but y'all voted this in. If y'all look at the meetings, y'all have got to look and take responsibility of what y'all do. If it's because we go too fast in these meetings, we need to slow down and talk about it more."

McKenzie said the commission should consider a reduced payment or a shorter period to distribute the supplements.

Ball said the commission is responsible for the use of public funds and if commissioners find that an approved action for ARPA money is wrong, the action should be changed.

"Just because we got something wrong, doesn't mean it's right to keep it wrong and sometimes as humans we're going to make mistakes across the way, but since we sit up here, we can undo them as well," Ball said after the vote.