Pending Cumberland County Budget Committee and full county commission approval, county employees are slotted to receive a 6% salary increase in the 2024-’25 fiscal year.
The Cumberland County employees salary scales were the topic of discussion during the first and final Cumberland County salary subcommittee meeting.
“The purpose of this subcommittee was established to try to come to a consensus and a recommendation on the wage-salary study and send a recommendation back to the budget committee from this subcommittee,” said Darrell Threet, 3rd District.
“I think everybody sitting here will agree that the employees of Cumberland County [are] the backbone of Cumberland County and they’re one of our greatest assets for what the county has,” said Threet.
In fiscal year 2020-’21, the county did not have a salary increase due to Covid-19 but Jennifer Turner, Cumberland County finance director, said that the county did provide a stipend or bonus check to all employees that did not impact their salary. In fiscal years 2021-’22, 2022-’23 and 2023-’24, county employees received a 6% salary increase. In fiscal year, 2024-’25, county employees received a 5% salary increase.
Threet was nominated and approved to be the chair of the subcommittee. Wendell Wilson, 6th District, was nominated and approved to be the vice-chair for the subcommittee. Threet informed the audience that Turner was selected to be the secretary of the subcommittee meeting.
The following five recommendations will be presented to the county budget committee March 25:
1. The subcommittee unanimously approved the recommended draft for a consistent salary scale so that from year to year every employee will receive a 2% raise in the next year. Threet drafted this scale to maintain consistency.
Colleen Mall, 9th District, made a motion to approve this recommendation to send to the budget committee, and Joe Sherrill, 6th District, supported the motion.
2. The subcommittee unanimously approved the recommended drafted classification factor ranking schedule, which outlines every county employee’s title and their salary grade. There are 408 county employees as of March 18.
Threet explained that they eliminated line 3 on the drafted salary scale that indicates grade 3 part-time employees. These part-time employees will be paid the same per hour as their full-time counterparts without added benefits that come with being a full-time employee. By the vote of the county commission, no employee will be below grade 4 on the salary scale.
Mall made a motion to approve this recommendation to send to the budget committee, and Sherrill supported the motion.
3. The subcommittee unanimously approved a retroactive pay increase of 6% for Jan. 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025.
The study the county paid organizational Management Group to perform recommended giving employees a 12% raise. To date, the employees received a 5% raise for July 1, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025.
To split this up, the county suggested taking 6% of the total 12% and adding a retroactive 3% to the already received 5% for a total of 8% from July 1, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025, then a 3% going forward Jan. 1, 2025, June 30, 2025, to complete the fiscal year with a 12% salary increase.
Sherrill made a motion to send the recommendation to the budget committee, and Wilson supported the motion.
4. The subcommittee unanimously approved the recommendation to appropriate the other 6% of the total 12% and implement it in the fiscal year 2025-’26.
By fiscal year 2026-’27, the implemented 12% increase will transition the employees on the drafted scale moving forward.
Sherrill made a motion to send the recommendation to the budget committee, and Mall supported the motion.
5. The subcommittee approved the recommendation for the removal of the grade 4 compensation to reach a minimum of $15 per hour pay on the scale.
“Mr. Chairman, I think that’s the simplest and easiest way, and I do think it’s the fairest way,” said Wilson.
Wilson made a motion to send the recommendation to the budget committee, and Mall supported the motion.
The subcommittee additionally discussed sending the recommendation for adding $2 per hour for the Sheriff’s Department Patrol Deputies who obtain and maintain their Emergency Medical Responder certificate.
“There [are] no jobs that are not tough anymore,” said Threet. “It takes everybody to make the county run … It takes everybody, all the employees in the county, to make the county run.”
Members of the subcommittee committee included Wiley Potter, 1st District; Tom Isham, 2nd District; Darrell Threet, 3rd District; Karen Shanks, 3rd District; Terry Lowe, 5th District; Joe Sherrill, 6th District; Wilson; Deborah Holbrook, 8th District; Colleen Mall, 9th District; John Patterson, 9th District; and Turner.
Due to the completion of the subcommittee’s tasks, the committee disbanded March 18. Thus, eliminating the need for the previously scheduled subcommittee meetings on Thursday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 25.
Instead, the Cumberland County Budget Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the Community Room of the Art Circle Public library at 3 East St., Crossville. Following that meeting, the full county commission will hold a special-called meeting in the same place.