July 16, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
Except for step increases, base pay for a particular group of county employees has not been adjusted in four years. That may soon change.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, the county budget committee adopted a proposal presented by Second District Commissioner Sabrina Farler to revise base pay of county employees who fall under two separate wage scales already in place. Both are 13-tiered plans including an administrative employee pay scale which tops out at 20 years and applies mainly to employees who work for elected and appointed county officials at the courthouse and county complex. The other plan tops out at 13 years and is for full-time library staff and senior center directors.
Under the 20-year plan, the pay increases could range from $3,744 to $4,896 annually depending on years of service, while raises for those in the 13-year plan jumping by $2,976 to $4,128. The total amount of the proposed pay hikes, including benefits, would add $129,703 in new spending to the county budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year.
County Mayor Tim Stribling said total revenue generated from the hotel-motel tax, which currently helps support the solid waste fund, will be moved to the general fund in the 2021-22 fiscal year to offset the cost of the pay raises. Revenue collections of the hotel-motel tax over the last four year has averaged $128,564 a year.
A few years ago the county closed the landfill and transitioned to a transfer station for garbage collection and disposal. As a result, the solid waste fund, which still has other revenue sources, can operate without the hotel-motel tax money.
The county commission established the two pay plans beginning with the 2017-18 fiscal year. Under the 20-year administrative pay scale, employee salary calculations were based on a percentage of $68,682, the annual salary at the time for the Trustee, Clerks of the Court, County Clerk, and Register of Deeds. Entry level pay is currently $26,786, but the plan provides for 13-tiered step increases over 20 years. The top out pay is $35,028 annually.
Salary calculations for employees in the 13-tiered plan (full time library staff and senior center directors) are also currently based on a percentage of $68,682. First year pay is $21,292 and tops out at $29,534 at 13 years.
Commissioner Farler proposed that the employee salary calculations for both pay plans be revised based on a percentage of $78,282 which is now the annual salaries for the Trustee, Clerks of the Court, County Clerk, and Register of Deeds. This would put the new starting salary for a first-year employee in the 20 year administrative pay plan at $30,530 and the top out would be $39,924 at 20 years.
The new entry level base pay for full-time library staff and the senior center directors would be $24,268 with a top out of 33,662 at 13 years.
The budget committee voted 7-0 to place these revised plans, including the salary increases, in the budget it will recommend to the full commission. In addition to Commissioner Farler, Commissioners Julie Young, Jenny Trapp, Dr. Scott Little, Jerry Adcock, Jeff Barnes, and Beth Pafford voted for it.
The sheriff’s department and ambulance service each operates under its own pay scale system previously established by the county with more competitive wages and will not be affected by the budget committee’s action Tuesday night.