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Commission approves 3% pay plan for county employees; department heads to disperse increases
Summary
Coffee County budget committee approved a 3% pay increase for county employees and instructed department heads to allocate the funds so lower-paid workers receive larger shares; disbursement records will be submitted to the mayor's office for public disclosure.
The committee voted to approve a 3% pay increase for county employees and directed department heads to disperse the funds with public accountability. The motion, restated by a committee member (S3) and seconded by another member (S2), passed on an affirmative voice vote.
S3, who proposed the change, said the committee should “have a raise at 3% and to incorporate [department-head dispersal]” and asked that the resulting distribution schedules be recorded in the mayor’s office for public disclosure. Supporters said the approach would allow managers to prioritize employees most affected by inflation while keeping the county fiscally responsible.
Speakers raised two implementation safeguards: caps on how much any department head may increase an individual’s pay and public documentation of each department’s disbursement schedule. Staff (S8) estimated the additional cost for the 3% plan at roughly $158,036 in payroll-related expenses; after the vote S1 summarized the budget impact as raising the projected total to about $1,944,945 with the 3% included.
Members also debated whether raises should be tiered so that employees earning below the county average receive larger increases. S3 and other members argued that department heads best understand local staffing needs and that public posting of disbursement schedules would provide accountability. The committee confirmed there will be no county tax-rate increase as part of this action.
