Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Jacobsen memo: $163,907 pay, county car

Richard "Jake" Jacobsen, 65, gets the county's eighth-highest salary despite working for UNC Charlotte's Institute for Social Capital, a nonprofit organization.

As they try to reduce a $78.9 million deficit in next year's budget, Mecklenburg County commissioners are promising to scrutinize all expenses. But County Manager Harry Jones says they should continue to pay the former Department of Social Services director, even though he no longer works for the county.

Today's story explains that under an arrangement between Jacobsen and county leaders, he will stay on the public payroll until his retirement in February 2010.

Jacobsen and the county drafted a "memorandum of understanding" on the arrangement. It detailed his pay and other expenses, including that he be "provided with a vehicle," according to the rules governing the use of county vehicles.

Click here to read the memo.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who is stupid enough to agree to such a MOU. No wonder the county needs money. I want a job like this, bet he get paid a good deal at his other job. While there is nothing wrong with making money, it is wrong to take advantage of the taxers. For shame.

Anonymous said...

WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE!!! WAY TO GO MECK COUNTY,,REDUCE THE TEACHER ROLES,PAY THE ADMIN. FROM CALI MORE AND GIVE MONEY AWAY TO PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU FEEL BAD THEY SUFFERED A STROKE. I'M MODELING MY BUSINESS AFTER THAT PRACTICE.

Anonymous said...

Way to go Meck. Gov., lay off teachers and others, yet pay someone for not working. It no wonder the county is in a hole. Then you want to raise taxes.

Anonymous said...

Any truth to the story by Rick Kern that: "The man hired to run this multi-billion dollar operation is Mecklenburg DSS Director Richard "Jake" Jacobsen, a man who was removed from the same position as DSS Director in San Diego, California in 1992 after two Grand Juries found his administration guilty of stealing children and committing other atrocities in San Diego."
or was this vetted?

Anonymous said...

If I move back to Mecklenburg County from Cabarrus County, can I get Jake's job when he "retires" in February? I'll even change my voter registration card to say "democrat". I was laid off from my previous job (as a Mainframe Senior Programmer/Analyst) in March 2007, so the way I figure it, I've got a head start over most candidates in "not working"...almost 26 months! I just have a few questions before I accept. What kind of car do I get? Does it also come with a gas credit card? Does the county (I mean, the taxpayers) pay taxes on it, along with basic upkeep (tires, oil, etc.)? Or, do I need to apply for a second non-working position to cover those costs? I assume that full medical, dental, life, LTD, and STD insurance is part of the benefits package. Do I get holidays and vacation days for "not working"? Instead of calling in "sick", do I call in "well" if I want a day off from a non-working position? Oh, and what exactly does the job entail? Does Jack Stratton still have any underage children for the Mecklenburg County DSS to steal? If not, from which counties (other than Mecklenburg and Gaston) is the Mecklenburg County DSS allowed to steal children?

Mary said...

Another bad use of taxpayer money. Another reason for No New Taxes.

charles said...

I agree with pretty much all of the previous writers, except for one thing. A "memo of understanding" is not a valid legal contract. It's a handshake agreement and can be voided without cause (just like hireing someone for a job and laying the off). Harry Jones needs to listen to the taxpayers that pay his salary, he works for them. The concensus is to let Jake Jacobsen go and save more than $100K you would be paying him. After all he was removed from his last position for his inablity to do his job. Most of us don't make nearly what he makes and the minute we couldn't continue on our jobs the door would smack our behinds. I'm sympathetic but enough is enough.

Anonymous said...

What do you expect. We are talking about Mecklenburg County's top decision makers.

The cream of the crop ????