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County officials debate shift-based pay policy and consider raises to retain dispatch staff
Summary
Officials discussed ambiguity in handbook language that pays staff “according to current shift,” proposed tabling handbook changes until the October budget, and weighed pay measures including a $2 hourly increase for dispatchers (from $17.57 to $19.57) and a 5% boost for non-elected staff.
Staff member explained that the county’s current handbook language says employees "will be paid according to their current shift," and that practice has become unclear because telecommunicators and jail staff have worked rotating 8-, 10- and 12-hour schedules.
"It says, will be paid according to their current shift," the Staff member said, describing how one week could be largely 12-hour shifts and the next week mix eights, a 10 and twelves depending on staffing shortages.
Committee member (speaker 3) urged the floor to table the proposed handbook change until the county adopts a new budget in October so commissioners can review related policy changes together. "I would like the floor to table this because I think there's some other changes that need to be made to the handbook policy," the Committee member said.
Another Committee member (speaker 5) recommended submitting policy changes in bundles to give commissioners more time to evaluate them rather than making piecemeal changes: "I would like to see all policy changes come in and do them at the same time... That way, we have more time to look at the policies and see why we really need to change it."
Agency official (speaker 6) urged market-based pay adjustments to retain staff, saying surrounding counties pay substantially more. "Right now, they're making $17.57 an hour... Surrounding counties... Surry County, they're paying almost $25 an hour. So what I would like to do is propose a $2 per hour increase for my dispatch," the Agency official said, adding that a $2 raise would bring dispatchers to $19.57.
The Agency official also described staffing and licensing: the telecommunicator roster includes three fully licensed and three temporary employees who must complete state certification and training, a factor that has driven occasional overtime when staff are away for required licensing classes.
Committee members debated how longevity incentives should be structured, with proposals discussed ranging from beginning incentives after six months to starting at one year or longer. Several members warned that high longevity steps can create pay-compression—new hires entering at the same pay as departing long-tenured staff—while others argued earlier incentives are necessary to retain younger employees.
No formal vote on handbook language or the pay proposals is recorded in the transcript; members agreed to revisit the items next month once budget figures and further cost estimates are available.
What's next: The group agreed to return the compensation and handbook items to next month’s meeting after staff provides concrete budget numbers and projected overtime impacts.
