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James City County leaders say pay study has improved hiring and cut turnover
Summary
County officials told the Board of Supervisors that a multi‑year compensation study and pay increases have improved applicant pools, reduced vacancies in several departments and brought turnover back toward pre‑pandemic levels, though some technical and mid/upper‑level positions remain hard to fill.
County Administrator Stevens told the James City County Board of Supervisors on May 2025 that a multi‑year effort to raise wages has helped the county recruit and retain staff.
Stevens said the county raised entry hourly pay from about $9.64 four years ago to $16.40 today and moved pay ranges near the 60th percentile after a 2024 compensation study, investments intended to make local government pay more competitive with neighboring jurisdictions. He said the county also used most of the recent reassessment revenue to fund school debt service and personnel costs — about $114 million for schools and $82 million for county personnel, which together account for roughly $196 million, or 74 percent, of the county’s $264 million budget.
The county administrator framed the results as encouraging: “The short answer is yes. I believe it is,” Stevens said when asked whether…
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