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Berkeley County reallocates funds to raise home-confinement officers' pay
Summary
Commission approved collapsing an unfilled home-confinement position and redistributed those funds to give officers a 13% pay increase and a $4,000 raise for the supervisor, a change presented as budget-neutral and effective July 1.
The Berkeley County Commission voted to collapse one unfilled home-confinement position and reallocate those funds to increase pay for existing staff.
Deputy County Administrator Chad Wimber described recruitment challenges and presented comparative salary data showing the county’s starting home-confinement pay at $43,135, below many peer counties. The recommended reallocation would give home-confinement officers a 13% increase (raising the starting salary to about $48,885) and a $4,000 increase for the home-confinement supervisor (raising that salary to roughly $67,710). Wimber said reclaiming the unfilled position’s funds makes the change budget-neutral.
Commissioners discussed caseload capacity — staff said current caseloads have plateaued between about 130 and 140 enrollees, and existing staff could manage modest increases — and emphasized the retention and public-safety benefits of keeping officers staffed and compensated competitively. The commission approved the reallocation effective July 1.
The action does not create a new net expense in the county budget, according to staff, and was presented as a measure to reduce attrition and maintain service levels.
