Tommy Pollard pushing for increase in register of deeds salary

Former state Sen. Tommy Pollard is bucking for a raise for his wife, the new Onslow County register of deeds.

County commissioners, however, say the county cannot afford to dole out more pay increases during the current money crunch.

Becky Pollard, who was sworn in Monday as the first Republican register of deeds, is expected to have her salary set at the Dec. 15 Board of Commissioners meeting.

Tommy Pollard passed out information to county officials last week comparing the salaries of several registers of deeds across the state to what former Onslow register Mary Kaye Washington was earning. The paperwork shows a list of the pay for the register of deeds in 10 North Carolina counties with a population of 168,000. The average pay is around $70,000. Washington earned a salary in the mid-$50,000 range.

County Commissioner Lionel Midgett said he received the information from Pollard late last week.

"He's doing his own study," Midgett said. "But we have to go by the pay study the county had conducted."

Pollard said he didn't know what his wife's starting pay would be and began to research what other register of deeds were paid across the state.

"We found that most of them in the Onslow County population range were making around $70,000," Pollard said, adding that he was initially just curious, but after looking at what other counties paid, he believes the Onslow register office salary should be comparable.

Pollard's figures come from random North Carolina counties with the same population as Onslow. The pay scale study conducted by Springsted, Inc., for Onslow County compared the salaries for counties surrounding Onslow and other counties in the state that are comparable in population, according to county staff.

County Commissioner Chairman W.C. Jarman said Pollard handed him the paperwork after Monday's commissioner meeting, calling it "reading material."

Jarman said he glanced at it but doesn't think the county should raise anyone's pay right now.

"I hope the board holds where they are," he said. "More than just the register of deeds needs a raise, but we just don't have the money."

Jarman said he did not have anything against Becky Pollard, but she is new to the register of deeds office and should not be paid the $70,000 Pollard is seeking.

Onslow County Commissioner Barbara Ikner said she "ended up with the information."

She said she "appreciates what other counties do, but the board will pay what the Onslow County taxpayers can afford."

Contact crime reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456. Read Lindell's blog at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com.