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County HR warns of retention crisis; committee considers 4% general increase for non‑sworn staff
Summary
Human resources reported that many county employees are leaving because wages are not competitive. Staff proposed a 4% general increase for non‑sworn employees for the remainder of the year (about $380,000) and estimated a full‑year cost of about $760,000; committee requested numbers and suggested pairing any new raises with sheriff adjustments for fairness.
A county personnel briefing during the appropriations meeting warned of growing retention pressures and recommended near‑term pay adjustments to stabilize staffing.
Unidentified Speaker 5 told the committee, "we are losing people because we are not competitive with our wages, and we're not able to keep up," and said roughly half of recent departures went to the sheriff’s office while the rest left for other county or private employers. The presenter recommended a combined 3% market adjustment plus 1% merit increase — a 4% general increase for non‑sworn staff — which she estimated would cost about $380,000 for the remainder of the year and approximately $760,000 on a full‑year basis.
Committee members raised equity concerns and urged presenting sheriff and non‑sworn adjustments together to avoid perceived favoritism between departments. Unidentified Speaker 4 noted employee morale issues and said treating departments consistently is important. Several members said that resolving compensation shortfalls may require multiple steps, including potential tax or fee changes in future budget cycles.
Members asked Human Resources to prepare detailed fund‑by‑fund numbers for inclusion in the budget amendment and for the compensation committee to meet in July to finalize recommendations. The committee did not take an immediate binding vote on pay adjustments during the meeting; instead members instructed staff to include the requested numbers in the revised amendment packet and to brief the full council.
Ending: Staff will provide a fund‑level cost estimate to include the proposal in the budget amendment and the compensation committee will meet to discuss next‑year adjustments.
