Shelby Co. (ECWd) –
Shelby County Board Member Gary Patterson has once again placed himself under the microscope by making certain claims during meetings which some of us knew were not true.
During the December 2021 County Board meeting, a board member presented several AG opinions and case law regarding limitations of county board powers related to forcing another elected official to do as they wish. The entire discussion can be viewed in the video below.
The Shelby County board has been trying to force the Treasurer to outsource payroll, which to date we have not found any supporting case law or AG opinions for such power of a county board.
After the board member presented solid information as to why the county board cannot force the treasurer to outsource payroll, a question was asked as to how many other counties are doing that. It should be noted, outsourcing payroll was the issue being raised.
Gary Patterson claimed to have done a survey last year and confirmed two counties were using software from Paycom. We note that no one asked what software was being used by other counties. The question was about identifying counties that outsource their payroll, however, Patterson’s response is misleading at best, deceptive at worst.
After the meeting, I specifically asked Patterson if those counties were simply using the software or were they actually outsourcing their payroll. He confirmed they were outsourcing with Paycom. I went to great lengths in my discussion to ensure Patterson understood my question and even explained how I use payroll software from a private company, but it is I who controls all the inputs and payments. He insisted the two counties in question outsource all their payroll.
Patterson’s claim that those two counties outsource their payroll is not true in the context of the conversation during and after the meeting. We contacted both Madison and Monroe Counties and confirmed neither outsource their payroll.
What those counties do is utilize the Paycom software. Shelby County invested in Computer Information Concepts Inc. software which costs over $50K and handles all the county finances, including payroll. There is no need to pay to use another company’s software when you already have software that can do the same thing.
Both counties named by Patterson confirmed it is county personnel that manages their payroll using Paycom software.
With confirmation neither of the counties named by Patterson outsource Payroll, it once again supports why we demand proof when public officials make claims. All too often they say things to sound important and to deflect the conversation to support their agenda. This is becoming a common pattern for Patterson.
He was recently exposed for his false claim in this article about having certain items in writing only to have to back-pedal after the information was requested and exposed he did not have what he claimed to have.
5 Responses
Once again the old sniffers that are the WatchDawgs get it right. No doubt in my mind Patterson is using this prestigious position of power to mount a full fledged attack on Shelby County and all of its politics. How dare he try to streamline payroll. How dare he invest his own time and resources to attempt to help the county. I can see it in his beady eyes. He is up to something. Keep sniffing around Dawgs, I’m sure you will find something to keep Patterson and Shelby County in your headlines. Your TMZ style reporting is top notch. Thanks for the entertainment. You might even ask for a subscription fee sometime. It’s worth the laugh!
Are you sure it was streamlining payroll or was it to cover payroll fraud? Patterson has refused to enforce the payroll policy that is consistent with state and federal law. The effort has been to get reporting out of the county so that false claims can continue. Do you benefit from the protection?
The board is oversized yet today, in large part, due to the vice chair’s influence on the board and committee memberships; and in the county seats’ thriving good-ole-boy network.
Shelby County has not a website for government transparency because the seat grew comfortable in shrouds commissioned long before the internet; and it gets stuck there in that murk yet today, because the longstanding board member and current vice-chair can’t manage to keep the ECWd’s beacon held steady.
TRUTH!! Self serving elitists who care both about tax paying citizens of this county. How much can they deal in self serving ventures. Friends and family. Pathetic!
If Gary Patterson has been misleading in these issues, one would wonder what else he has given misleading information on.
He has no place in government. He will only speak to get his desired outcome.
He is head of law enforcement committee. What has he done there to cover issues and to protect and get a desired outcome. Inquiring minds would like to know.
Resignation would be the best idea.