Athens-Clarke County employees could see raises coming this summer. That was the recommendation from county staff as local lawmakers prepare to discuss and vote on the county’s budget in the coming months.
If the plan is adopted, most county workers would see a 4% increase in their pay, plus a 3% increase to the pay tables for employees. Public safety employees, like police officers, Sheriff’s deputies, and firefighters, are covered under a different pay plan. Those employees would see a 3% adjustment to their pay table in addition to regularly scheduled raises based on their rank and time in service.
All told, the proposed raises would cost the government just over $5 million.
Commissioners have routed some $14 million into pay hikes in the last two years, and that spending has paid off in terms of employee retention. Employee turnover, a vexing problem in recent years for commissioners, was down, and the number of open positions in the county has shrunk in the last year.
Some departments, however, are better-staffed than others. Athens Transit has 25 open positions, nearly a third of its workforce. The Sheriff’s Office is only about 75% staffed, and the county’s Public Works department is just over 80% staffed. Meanwhile, the county’s Economic Development Department, its Elections Office, and many of its courts are fully staffed.
The Mayor and Commission will continue work on the budget in the coming months, with a vote expected in late spring.
