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Greene County approves 2.7% across‑the‑board pay increase for county employees
Summary
After deliberation during a multi‑hour budget hearing, the Greene County Board of Commissioners approved a 2.7% across‑the‑board pay increase for county employees, reversing earlier decisions to hold raises. Commissioners also approved several targeted staffing additions and budget adjustments.
Greene County commissioners voted to approve a 2.7% across‑the‑board pay increase for county employees during a budget hearing and workshop session, the board said during discussion on raises and staffing.
The vote followed a day of departmental budget presentations and a period in which the board cut more than $1.6 million from the general fund budget (not counting potential raises), then considered several scenarios for salary adjustments. Commissioners said the 2.7% figure matches a previously discussed cost‑of‑living measure and is intended to balance fiscal prudence with employee retention.
Why it matters: The county’s payroll is one of its largest recurring costs. Commissioners and department heads discussed how earlier one‑time “tier” payments and the timing of payroll entries had complicated the budgeting process. The 2.7% decision was framed as a compromise between limiting budget pressure and preserving the county’s ability to retain staff who received larger adjustments in a prior year’s tier rollout.
Board discussion and vote: Commissioners discussed alternate percentages before a motion to adopt 2.7% was made and seconded. After a roll call, the motion passed. Commissioners noted the board previously removed a set of proposed raises while working through budget tradeoffs earlier in the day and that the 2.7% figure would be applied countywide on top of existing tiers where applicable.
What else commissioners flagged: During the same hearing commissioners approved targeted staffing additions and budget changes (separately detailed in other county actions), and directed staff to work with the county attorney and payroll clerk to verify payroll entries linked to an earlier apparent overpayment of tier money. Commissioners requested legal review of options to address erroneous early payments.
Looking ahead: Commissioners asked department heads to prepare updated line‑by‑line figures for the adopted raise and for the county auditor to show the effect of the 2.7% scenario on the general fund and projected revenues. The board also instructed staff to return with any required ordinance language or formal adjustments to the salary ordinance for the next official budget step.
Ending: The board paused other business to complete department hearings and planned to continue follow‑up work on staffing and audits related to the payroll/tier questions.
