June 25, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
The DeKalb County Budget Committee has revised its new wage scale proposal for county general employees. Although this plan was adopted Wednesday night, June 22 by the budget committee to be included in the 2022-23 fiscal year budget, an amendment was made for the two employees of the county mayor’s office.
Under a plan presented to the budget committee two weeks ago by Circuit Court Clerk Susan Martin on behalf of her office and the offices of Trustee, Register of Deeds, County Clerk, Assessor of Property, Clerk and Master, and Administer of Elections, employees would receive step raises at a percentage of $82,396 per year, which is what all these public officials will earn next year except for the county mayor who is paid more and the administrator of elections who is paid less. The starting pay in year one for new employees would be at $32,134 and top out after 30 years at $46,142. In addition to the scheduled step increases, salaries of all employees of these offices would automatically increase at the same percentage as their employer (office holder) when he or she gets a raise by the state.
According to a motion made by budget committee member Beth Pafford Wednesday night, the two county mayor’s employees would receive step raises at a percentage of $95,168 which is what the salary of the county mayor will be next year and top out after 30 years. As with the other employees, the county mayor’s staff would automatically receive the same percentage increase in pay by the county as the county mayor’s percentage salary increase when he gets a raise by the state.
“I would make a motion that we base their (county mayor employees) salaries off the county mayor. We are fortunate that the county does not have to pay for a financial administrator to do the line items (because of the work of these employees),” said Commissioner Pafford.
Commissioner Scott Little offered a second to the motion and it was adopted on a 4-1 vote. Budget committee members Sabrina Farler and Anita Puckett joined Pafford and Little in voting for it. Commissioner Jeff Barnes voted against it. Budget committee members Jenny Trapp and Julie Young were absent.
A similar proposal was adopted six years ago by the county commission but was changed two years later after several county officials complained that the plan was unfair in that the county mayor’s staff was being paid more than their clerks.
The sheriff’s department and DeKalb EMS currently operate under their own pay scale systems previously established by the county and would not be affected by the proposal adopted by the budget committee Wednesday night.
The budget committee also updated the wage scale for full time library employees, the senior citizens center directors, and custodians.
Under this plan, these employees would receive step raises at a percentage of $82,396 per year and get the same percentage increase in pay by the county as the percentage given to county office holders by the state.
These pay plans are subject to final approval by the county commission.