Graham County approves higher pay placement to recruit detention registered nurse
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Summary
The Graham County Board approved placing a newly hired detention registered nurse at salary range 24, step 9 to reflect nearly 25 years’ experience and improve recruitment after 2½ years of unsuccessful advertising; the board discussed pay equity for existing staff but approved the placement by voice vote.
The Graham County Board of Supervisors approved a salary placement to recruit a detention registered nurse, moving the new hire to salary range 24, step 9 based on prior experience.
Brian Douglas of the health department told the board the county has advertised for the detention nurse position for two-and-a-half years with few qualified applicants and that increasing pay was intended to attract candidates. "We've advertised for 2 and a half years for a detention nurse," Douglas said, adding that the identified candidate has extensive experience.
Board members expressed support for competitive pay but asked about internal equity for existing employees if a new hire is placed at a higher rate. Manager Welker and others clarified that the placement is within the established pay range and is commensurate with the candidate’s nearly 25 years of nursing experience; Welker said that placing the hire on the appropriate step for experience does not require immediate adjustments to other employees' pay.
Vice Chairman David moved to approve the salary placement; the board seconded the motion and approved it by voice vote. The action is intended to fill a long-open public-safety health position and improve service at the jail while preserving internal pay-scale rules.
The county will proceed with onboarding the candidate at the approved step; any future decisions about broader pay adjustments for existing staff were discussed as a separate management consideration and were not mandated by this motion.
