The lowest paid Athens-Clarke County employees will see their wages raised to $15.00/hour today as the ACC FY 2022 budget goes into effect. Raising the wage floor was a key budget item for commissioners, and it was the center of much debate, mostly on how to handle wage compression—something that occurs when there is little difference in pay regardless of experience.
To address the issue, commissioners set aside money to fund a study to recommend the best way to decompress wages among county employees. The $271.5 million budget also includes items like fare-free public transit that will continue for the next year and a community garden program spearheaded by Commissioner Mariah Parker.
Lawmakers began work on the budget several months ago, and parts of the proposal, including the issue of wages, remained contentious until the final vote last month. Ultimately, Commissioners voted 7 - 3 to pass the budget, with Commissioners Mike Hamby, Ovita Thornton, and Allison Wright voting no.
The mayor and commission did not raise taxes for ACC residents and the property tax rate remains the same at 13.7 mils. For a complete look at the fiscal year 2022 budget, visit accgov.com/budget.
