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Carter commission pay trails most area counties

By Max Hrenda

Mention “pay” and either “elected official” or  ”public employee” in the same sentence, and chances are you’ll receive an earful in response.

But a little research into the numbers in Northeast Tennessee yields what might be some surprising results.

The average annual pay for county commissioners in the region ranges from Sullivan County’s $6,874.89 down to the average $1,119.05 pay for Hawkins County commissioners.

Based on the average pay during the 2011 fiscal year, Carter County commissioners were the third-lowest paid in Northeast Tennessee, ahead of only Greene and Hawkins counties.

Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey said that, sometimes, Carter County doesn’t pay its commissioners fairly.

“If (commissioners) are doing a their jobs properly, they’re not compensated for their efforts,” Humphrey said.