WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS APPROVE PAY RAISE FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES
Washington County employees are set to receive a pay raise.
Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday approved a compensation pay increase for all non-elected county employees. The increase gives all employees a minimum 2 percent raise up to 15 percent, based on their years of service. The increase becomes effective at the next pay period, July 23rd.
County Judge John Durrenberger said while it is “basically unprecedented” to have a mid-year pay raise, the county did not go forward with one at the beginning of the year because it did not know where its finances would stand in relation to COVID-19. He credited county departments for cutting expenses, saying costs are down “considerably” and revenues are higher than expected.
Commissioner Candice Bullock said the process of assembling this compensation package was a joint effort over several months between commissioners and the Human Resources department, one that involved “blood, sweat and tears.” She said the court is “very cognizant” of how far below market value the county’s employees are, and that this is another effort to move closer to that mark in order to appropriately pay employees.
In recent months, commissioners have approved pay increases for employees in individual departments, including the Sheriff’s Office, EMS and E-911. Commissioner Kirk Hanath said he is glad to see the court “take a holistic view” with this pay increase, rather than an individual view of certain departments.
In July 2019, the court hired Public Sector Personnel Consultants, Inc. to perform a compensation comparison study in Washington County and surrounding areas. At the end of the year, commissioners approved a minimum 3 percent pay raise in an attempt to close the gap in pay between the county’s employees and employees in nearby cities and counties.