Brunswick Co. School Board must pay back raises

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick County School Board members must repay two years’ worth of raises.

In a news release this afternoon, the district said the sole authority to adjust local school board salary and expenses rests with the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners. That’s based on a review of state law.

A school district spokeswoman says Rick Green, the attorney for the school board, and Brunswick County Attorney Huey Marshall consulted on the law and reached the conclusion that the school board members must repay the raises they approved in recent budgets.

Based on a review of the Brunswick County Schools FY 2013 and FY 2014 budgets, each Brunswick County Board of Education member must repay the district $1,920. Board members received a $120 adjustment in FY 2013 based on the 1.2 percent increase to state employees and $1,800 in FY 2014.

The school system’s finance office will manage individual repayment plans consistent with repayment plans typically required of all employees when there is an overpayment.

Board Chair John Thompson says because he is new to that position, he did not know commissioners had to approve any salary adjustments.

“When it came to my attention, it was too late, so a mistake was made,” Thompson said. “Sorry.”

Thompson says he and other board members really did not know much about the raises until the morning of the budget discussions, but in an interview earlier this month board member Catherine Cooke said it was her understanding that Thompson recommended the raise.