Marion County commissioners met Friday, Nov. 30, in a $1,666,256 payday session.
County Clerk Carol Maggard reported unusually high sales tax collection for September, collected by the state in October, and paid to the county in Novem?ber, of $61,137 regular sales tax and $54,219 for payment and reserve for jail bond payment.
This brought the total regular sales tax collected for the first 11 months of 2012 to $606,860, not far from the $645,561 reported in all 12 months for 2011.
According to Maggard?s report for the past decade, the first time sales tax collections ever exceeded $600,000 was in 2009 at $600,165.
Following executive sessions with Maggard, the commissioners approved giving all 102 county full-time employees each a $100 Christmas bonus plus granting a 1 percent merit pay raise to all full-time employees effective Dec. 31.
They pointed out that no pay raises were awarded in 2012 because of economic austerity.
The commissioners awarded a road and bridge transport fuel bid of $26,417 for 5,000 gallons of diesel and 3,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline to Coopera?tive Grain & Supply of Hillsboro over a competitive bid of $25,752.50 from Cardie Oil Inc. of Tampa.
Commissioners awarded a road and bridge area fuel bid of $22,523 for 6,550 gallons of diesel to CG&S over a competitive bid of $22,767.70 from Cardie Oil.
Commissioner Randy Dallke was joined by the other commissioners in commending road and bridge workers for rock installation work they performed at the new county jail.