Cumberland County commission approves 6% pay raise and updated wage scale

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved a 6% pay increase for county employees and adopted an updated pay scale at a special meeting March 25 at the Art Circle Public Library in Crossville.

Commissioner Darrell Threet moved to adopt Resolution 03-25-2025-1, "To adopt an updated wage scale, implementation recommendations, and employee raise," and Commissioner Jerry Cooper seconded the motion. The resolution, as recorded in the meeting minutes, approves a six percent increase for all employees effective immediately and retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025; it also adopts a new pay scale, moves all grade 4 employees to grade 5 effective July 1, 2025, and requires part-time employees to be hired at the minimum of their equivalent full-time salary grade effective July 1, 2025.

The motion carried by a unanimous roll call vote of the commissioners present. The minutes note that Commissioner John Patterson was absent from the meeting; the record does not list individual roll-call votes in the transcript beyond the unanimous outcome.

The meeting was called to order at 4:34 p.m. by Commission Chairman Mayor Allen Foster, who asked Commissioner Wendell Wilson to deliver the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. County Clerk Jule Bryson, Finance Director Jennifer Turner and Library Director James Houston were listed as present alongside the roster of county commissioners.

On motion of Commissioner Joseph Sherrill, seconded by Commissioner Charles Seiber, the commission adjourned the meeting at 4:38 p.m. The minutes were approved for entry April 21, 2025, according to the record.

No budgetary appropriation detail or fiscal impact estimate was recorded in the meeting minutes; the resolution text in the minutes specifies implementation dates and grade changes but does not specify funding sources or projected annual cost.