Suwannee County commissioners spent substantial time on Sept. 4 discussing a personnel classification study and the cost to move employees below new minimum pay ranges up to those minimums. Mr. Gentry, a county staff member presenting the study results, estimated the “bring-to-minimum” cost for board employees at about $590,000.
Commissioners discussed alternatives and the timing of raises. Staff said a planned cost-of-living increase already in the budget — a 1% across-the-board raise and a $0.50-per-hour adjustment — would reduce the incremental cost of the bring-to-minimum exercise because those increases take effect Oct. 1. Staff provided preliminary figures: roughly $168,000 for the 1% increase and about $440,000 for the $0.50 adjustment; combined, those two changes total about $608,000 in recurring payroll cost.
Board members raised concerns about compression (long-tenured employees being close in pay to newer hires), merit versus automatic increases, and legal limits on bonuses. Commissioner Blake cautioned that recent legislative changes impose guidelines on bonuses and that any bonus program should be reviewed with counsel and finance staff. Several commissioners suggested phasing pay adjustments over multiple years or prioritizing certain departments to spread cost.
The board directed staff to run precise scenarios that account for the October 1 increases, to determine how many employees would still be below the minimum and what the net cost would be. Commissioners asked finance staff (Nina and Keith) to provide the refined calculations before the final budget hearing so the board could make a data-driven decision. No formal action was taken; the discussion produced a directive for staff follow-up.