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Beaufort County Council adopts flat-dollar COLA distribution after debate
Summary
After a lengthy discussion of fairness and budget mechanics, Beaufort County Council approved a flat-dollar FY2026 cost-of-living adjustment (equivalent in total to a staff-proposed 3%), setting $1,885 for full-time employees and $943 for part-time employees as the distribution method.
Beaufort County Council voted April 14 to distribute the FY2026 cost-of-living adjustment as a flat-dollar amount rather than a straight 3% across-the-board percentage.
County staff told the council that a 3% COLA would total about $2,240,509 for employees covered by the class-and-compensation plan. Staff presented two distribution approaches: a 3% percentage (the staff recommendation) or a flat cash option that staff calculated as $1,885 per full-time employee and $943 per part-time employee. The administration said the total budget impact would be equivalent under the options presented.
Council members debated which method would better help lower-paid employees. Councilman Logan Cunningham and Councilman Larry McAllen argued a flat-dollar increase benefits lower-paid workers more than a percentage raise does; other members, including those who had supported the strategic-plan decision earlier, said a 3% COLA ensures proportional increases across the pay scale and is simpler to implement.
After discussion and a clarified amendment that explicitly set the full-time and part-time dollar amounts, the council called the question and conducted a roll-call-style tally. The motion to adopt the flat-dollar distribution passed in the meeting record with seven yes votes, one abstention and the remainder not voting on the record; staff said the flat-dollar option would require adjustments in payroll line items and department budgets but would not change the total county budgeted dollar amount for COLA.
Council directed staff to proceed with payroll adjustments and indicated a follow-up classification/compensation study and merit/step review will be part of future budget planning. The council’s action applies to employees covered under the county class-and-compensation plan and does not detail individual salary changes beyond the chosen distribution method.
