The Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors (KBHI) wants a raise.

     They think they can scrape by with about a 300% raise, bare minimum.  It's the "bare minimum," because that would be the new guaranteed base pay.

     But that's not all.  They're tucking even more pay checks away in their brand new pay raise regulation, 815 KAR (Kentucky Administrative Regulations) 6:070, slipped in on Jan. 13, 2012, on the Q.T.

     Why not just 350, the roasting point of a turkey?

     Right now, the Board gets paid a "per diem" (per day) rate for each day a member attends a meeting.  They want more.  So the new reg also would let the Board write themselves checks for "otherwise engaging in the in-person, face-to-face duties of a member of the Board as approved by the Board."

     No one has the slightest idea what that means.  No home inspector law sets out any "in-person, face-to-face duties" of a Board member -- other than attending meetings.  But you can wager it means at least one thing -- they will put more home inspector money in their pockets, and bank even more on top, buying themselves more meals, hotel rooms, drinks, and gas. 

     The Governor -- who appointed most of the Board members -- gave himself a pay cut and ordered across-the-board cuts throughout state government.  This Board is above all that.  Even getting paid for going to meetings is not enough.  Now they want more -- for not going to meetings, just going "in-person, face-to-face," uh, somewhere, sometime, because, well, they say so.  Does gin at a bar count?  Sounds like "face-to-face, in-person." 

      You might feel a little Scotch, hassling a guy over $100 a day.  But there once was a time when the honor of the Governor appointing you to serve the public was plenty. 

       Those Board members are not the only ones having a hard time, though.  Every dime that goes into the Board pockets comes directly out of home inspector pockets.  Home inspectors are having a tough enough time right now that more drop out most months than renew their licenses.

     In fact, Kentucky as a whole is having a pretty tough time.  The Governor cut back the budget about 23%, after his own pay cut.

     Some Board members say they need a raise to attract good candidates to serve on the Board.  Of course, the old pay -- $35 a day, for meetings only -- attracted each of them.  They're not saying that they, themselves, are crumby Board candidates, of course.  They're just saying they really are Secret Heroes, and no one else would conceivably be wacky enough to go on the Board -- like they did, for today's chinchy $35 per day.  Isn't it obvious it would take top dollar -- $65 more -- to reel in those stellar candidates today?  Did we mention there also are three people applying to fill the one vacant seat on the Board today?  And every other seat was filled under today's pay, with more applicants than seats?

    Some inspectors think the Board should "earn" any raise.  They figure any Board whose main achievement was blowing over a quarter-million dollars in home inspector license fees still has not earned any pay.  There are even some who think the Board should pay back the daily pay it took if cannot figure out how to do anything worthwhile with all those license fees in the last six years.  Call it the Ron Paul school. 

     Call it another $100 down the same charity.

     Or, call it the way you see it -- and show up at the hearing on the new regulation.  It's Feb. 21, 2012 at 1 p.m. at the Board rental "office," 911 Leawood Drive, Frankfort, KY 40602.  If you're going, send a note to the Board administrator, tony.crockett@ky.gov.  You know Steve will be there.  Always is.  If you want to send written comments instead, they go to Tony Crockett, at the same address.  Written comments are due there by Feb. 29, 2012.  Feel free to call PLI if you'd like to kick around ideas before you comment.

     The full text of the regulation is online at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/kar/815/006/070reg.htm

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"$50 OFF" -- ONE-TIME ONLY -- SPECIAL

ON HI LICENSE RENEWAL FEES,  

Ky Board Proposes in Reg Change

                                     

     Here's good news:

     Home inspectors get $50 off the yearly license renewal, if a new regulation changed from the Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors (KBHI) goes through.

     It is about time.  Even though it's just one time, one budget, and $50, a year.  Never mind that Board members are giving themselves $65 -- a month -- forever -- in the same regulation package.  It's just that $50, compared to the Board vaporizing almost $ 800 per inspector in budget "sweeps," hardly covers it.

     The $50 off would kick in for licenses that "expire" by your renew by June 30, 2014 (and after July 1, 2012).  (If your license "expires" before July in 2012, or after June, 2014, you're poop outa luck.)

     It is about time home inspector licenses settled back down to earth, of course.  (Renewals are $60 for real estate agents or brokers, as a comparison, and their board actually does stuff to help licensees, like public awareness campaigns.)

     But why just one year?  If $200 is a good number in 2014, why isn't good from now on?  You have to think they're overcharging -- since nearly $300,000 in cash was "swept" out of the KBHI account since 2008.  Gone.  Poof.  In state government, use it or lose it.  The KBHI lost it.

     Here's the trade:  You get $50 off, one time.  The Board grabs $15,000 more a year, at least -- every year.  That's how the bonus pay hike the KBHI voted for itself works. 

 

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