Davidson County approves 2% pay increase for sergeants and lieutenants after long debate over experience "slotting"

Davidson County commissioners on Aug. 25 voted to approve a 2% pay increase for county sergeants and lieutenants, rejecting a simultaneous “slotting” adjustment that would have retroactively credited employees’ prior outside experience and raised costs by roughly $193,000 over the 2% plan.

The decision followed hours of debate in which county commissioners, County Manager Casey Smith and Sheriff Simmons discussed vacancy rates, overtime and the county budget. Commissioner Tripp Kester made the motion to revisit a 2% pay increase that would have included sergeants, lieutenants and “slotting”; the board ultimately amended the motion to approve only the 2% increase for sergeants and lieutenants (excluding slotting) and adopted that amended motion.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the step is intended to address immediate retention and recruitment problems in patrol and detention, while some members warned that a broader slotting fix — which would credit years of outside service when setting current pay — could create equity and affordability problems across county departments. County staff and commissioners repeatedly referenced budget limits and the scale of the county general fund during debate.

What the board approved - The board approved a 2% pay increase for sergeants and lieutenants (and positions “down” from those ranks where specified), to be implemented from the payroll schedule described by Human Resources and Finance staff. The board’s final motion excluded the slotting adjustment that would have applied outside experience to employees’ current pay grade.

Debate and context County Manager Casey Smith told the commission the two options that had been discussed earlier would cost roughly $287,000 for the narrow 2% plan and about $480,000 if slotting were added — a $193,000 difference. He framed the cost relative to county finances: “for the fiscal year 2025 to 2026, our adopted tax rate will yield a total revenue of 91,000,000… 1p of property tax equals $1,685,000,” and described the estimated incremental cost as a small fraction of those totals.

Commissioner Tripp Kester, who moved the initial motion, described slotting as a way to correct pay disparities for officers who brought prior experience into Davidson County: “If a deputy was hired prior to the 2022 pay study…and had 5 years of experience, that pay was not adjusted…Slotting is paying for the adjustment.” Kester said he would remove himself from consideration for any direct personal benefit, then moved the board to revisit the 2% increase plus slotting.

Several commissioners urged caution about extending slotting only to one department. Commissioner Elliott (who announced a recusal earlier in the discussion) said he would prefer any slotting remedy to be applied across county departments to avoid morale and fairness problems. At one point the county attorney reviewed North Carolina law on conflicts and voting (citing General Statute 14-234 and G.S. 153A-44 in the discussion), which informed Commissioner Elliott’s recusal.

Sheriff Simmons, speaking to the board, emphasized operational demands and the cost of overtime and recruitment: “When I'm 20 to 25 people short, I've gotta have people to work…If you take just a $45,000 salary…and you multiply that by 20…you're looking at about $1,200,000 right there.” He also disputed assertions about reporting of investigation clearance rates and offered to provide SBI/FBI statistics to the board for additional context.

Several public commenters earlier in the meeting had urged commissioners to raise sheriff’s office pay and to prioritize retention; Major Eddie Curry delivered an extended public comment criticizing past pay policy and warning of retention and safety consequences if pay and on-call compensation did not improve.

Vote and implementation - Motion (final, amended): Approve a 2% pay increase for sergeants and lieutenants (excluding the slotting/experience adjustment). Mover: Commissioner Tripp Kester. Second: Commissioner Shell. - Outcome: Approved. The chair called for “All in favor? Aye,” and the motion carried. - Recorded procedural notes: Commissioner Elliott announced a recusal during discussion; the board later formally moved to excuse him from that vote.

What remains unresolved Commissioners and staff discussed but did not adopt a countywide slotting policy. Staff and several commissioners asked for additional comparative data (including SBI/FBI clearance and Rowan County comparisons, and detailed overtime and vacancy analyses) to inform any future, broader pay adjustments. County Manager Casey Smith said he would provide further data to the board.

Closing note The 2% adjustment applies immediately to the ranks the board specified; staff will confirm effective dates and payroll implementation details. Commissioners stressed the intent to continue dialogue on broader, longer-term pay equity measures but did not commit to a timetable during the meeting.