Forsyth County Manager Dudley Watts: $150,716
County manager is the highest paying position in Forsyth County government. And it should be. This is where the buck stops, after all. The county manager answers directly to the elected county commission, and oversees 1,966 fulltime employees with benefits. The manager is responsible for preparing a recommended annual budget for the commissioners’ consideration.
Guilford County Interim Manager Brenda Fox-Jones: $172,106 plus $7,200 for travel
Guilford County employees consistently make more than their counterparts in Forsyth County. You can probably chalk that up to the fact that Guilford has 124,099 more people than Forsyth and Guilford employs 2,527 salaried and benefited employees, compared Forsyth’s 1,966. The last county manager in Guilford County, David McNeill, was fired by the majority faction of the county commission led by Chairman Skip Alston, so maybe Guilford County employees need some extra incentive to stick around.
Forsyth County Elections Director Rob Coffman: $87,110
There is no job too big or too small in theater, they say, and so it is with government. But the whole premise of democratic government hinges on the principle of free and fair elections. Sure, you can set up a bureaucracy to administer government under a foreign occupation, but without elections it lacks legitimacy. So you want to make sure you have a competent person heading this office to make sure poll workers are adequately trained, reliable voting machines are purchased, and votes are accurately counted and reported.
Guilford County Elections Director George Gilbert: $90,237
Guilford County Elections Director George Gilbert has taken his knocks for his preference toward electronic voting machines (The top result in a Google search for “george gilbert” and “guilford county board of elections” is a screed by the NC Coalition for Verified Voting that declares, “George Gilbert proposes Rube Goldberg Style voting system for Guilford County.”) Despite the taunts, Gilbert administered a historic election in November 2008 that saw turnout increase by 21.5 percent, and quick-moving lines on Election Day thanks to ample opportunities for early voting.
Forsyth County Sheriff Bill Schatzman: $113,464
Broadcast journalist Jim Longworth once recognized Forsyth County Sheriff Bill Schatzman for his leadership qualities. A former member of the Marine Corps and son of a Connecticut State Police major, Schatzman’s career before becoming the county’s top-ranking lawman was certainly more illustrious and possibly more lucrative. Hired as a special agent by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Schatzman’s official bio states that the future sheriff “received recognition for solving bank robberies, supervising drug undercover operations directed at organized crime, breaking white collar crime fraud cases and organizing and directing task force case using local law enforcement.” He started Schatzman & Associates in 1994, after retiring from the FBI. The company is described as “400 former FBI agents located around the world who provide services to corporate clients.”
Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes: $132,489
Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes makes US Rep. Howard Coble look like a pea at county Republican Party functions. Love him or hate him, he makes no apologies, whether it’s defending a deputy involved in a fatal shooting, using the federal 287(g) program to identify and deport undocumented offenders or teaming up with a local television news program to ensnare internet sex offenders.
Forsyth County substance abuse counselor: $35,838
“Substance abuse counseling is arguably the most challenging career choice for mental health counselors,” the website www.allpsychologyschools.com states. “People suffering from drug and alcohol problems are likely to have other behavioral or mental health issues, and the likelihood of relapse during a person’s lifelong treatment is a harsh reality.” The website lists the median salaries as ranging between $27,330 and $42,650, so Forsyth County pays right in the middle.
Guilford County substance abuse counselor: $50,345
Substance abuse counselors working for Guilford County earn a median salary of $50,345 — significantly higher than their counterparts in Forsyth. The highest paid employers in the field earn $60,623 and while $35,661 sets the floor of the pay scale. Other positions on the county payroll include public health educator I (average salary: $43,728), business officer I (average salary: $49,784) and medical records assistant III (average salary: $33,263).
Forsyth County foreign language interpreter: $29,509
I always imagined foreign-language interpretation as a job carrying about the same level of stress as air traffic controller. After all, a client’s liberty and health often hangs in the balance of an accurate translation. A 2001 article in Pediatric News confirms the potential perils: “On average, 29 medical interpreter errors are made per pediatric encounter in which an interpreter is used. Sixty three percent of these ‘had definite or potential clinical consequences,’ said Dr. [Glenn] Flores of Boston University.” Forsyth’s salary schedule doesn’t exactly appear to be designed to induce people to join the profession. You could make more in journalism.
Guilford County foreign language interpreter: $32,576
Consistent with other fields, the pay is a little better in Guilford County, where 10 foreign language interpreters are employed. The Census reports that 11 percent of Guilford County residents speak a language other than English at home, half of them Spanish and half some other language. Of the 11 percent who spoke a language other than English at home, almost half reported they did not speak English very well.
