ABC salaries reported
By From Staff And Wire Reports
Published in News on November 24, 2009 1:46 PM
The chairman of the Wayne County Alcohol Beverage Control Board is paid $1,500 annually and board members $900 each. Business Manager Mike Myrick is paid $82,000 per year.
Questions about the salaries of ABC employees arose this week when the Wilmington Star-News reported that New Hanover County officials were reluctant to reveal the salary of its ABC business manager.
Gov. Beverly Perdue has ordered an investigation and has said that such information should be readily available to the public.
"The governor has directed us to examine the issue statewide, because it is critical that there is transparency and good stewardship of taxpayer dollars at all levels of government," state ABC Board Chairman Jon Williams said in a statement.
The newspaper reported that Billy Williams, the administrator of the New Hanover Alcoholic Beverage Control board who has worked there for nearly 42 years, makes $232,200 a year. His son, Bradley Williams, an employee since 1994 and the assistant administrator, earns $115,500 annually.
Williams makes $109,553 a year. State Administrator Michael Herring earns $97,279.
New Hanover annually leads the state in liquor sales.
Myrick provided the salary information for Wayne County.
Bryant Daly of Mount Olive currently serves as chairman of the Wayne ABC Board. The other members are Gregory Batts and Joe Sawyer Jr., both of Goldsboro, Shelton Moore of Seven Springs and David Meador of Pikeville.
Board members serve staggered three-year terms and are appointed by county commissioners.
The board hires and fires employees, orders the alcoholic beverages from the State ABC Board, determines when stores will be open and manages the system.
The local board meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.
There are six ABC stores in the county and three staff members, including Myrick, who said he had eliminated an assistant manager's job and rolled it into his.
Last year, the local ABC stores generated $1.343 million in revenues for the state and $322,674 in revenues for the county.