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Cobb County staff to fund limited new positions, proposes 2% pay-scale adjustment amid recruitment gains
Summary
Officials said 106 previously vacant positions were filled, the board proposed funding four new positions and is considering a 2% pay-scale adjustment and continued step increases for public safety; county leaders said they prioritized conservative budgeting while addressing recruitment and retention.
Cobb County officials told residents July 17 that recruitment efforts have filled longstanding vacancies and that compensation changes are a notable cost driver in the proposed budget.
Chief Financial Officer Bill Volkmann said the county filled 106 previously vacant positions and that many departments asked for a total of roughly 290 new positions during the budget process. "These are not new positions. These are positions that we had on our books that we were simply struggling to fill," Volkmann said. The proposed budget funds four new positions (two for fire, two for stormwater).
Officials described a proposed 2% pay-scale adjustment to keep pace with the market and avoid larger, less frequent class-and-pay studies every three to five years. The chairwoman said the board is also continuing step-in-grade increases for public safety and maintaining merit pay programs; staff estimated the combined cost of the pay-scale adjustment and related items at about $8.6 million countywide.
Why it matters: Filling vacancies affects county service capacity; compensation changes affect recurring budget obligations and long-term fiscal planning. Officials said tough tradeoffs were necessary because the board has aimed to keep the general fund millage flat while balancing departmental requests.
Ending: The county noted its conservative budgeting posture and urged residents to review the budget binder for department-level plans and to raise questions at the upcoming public hearing.
