DeKalb County held a press conference announcing an immediate increase in the county minimum wage to $19 an hour for county employees, affecting about 1,428 regular-status employees and costing about $2.7 million with officials saying there will be no tax increase. County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and interim HR director Jadira Haynes described the two-part adjustment and a broader pay-and-class study to address salary compression and retention.