Nearly half of Prince William County Government employees are in line to get a raise

The Board of County Supervisors for the first time Tuesday heard a proposal to give about 1,000 full-time employees a 4% raise. Another 627 part-time employees who work for the parks and rec department will also get a raise.

It’s going to cost about $5 million to carry out, and the pay raises would be phased in over two years.

Supervisors put the brakes on a plan to take a vote next week on the expansive measure, however, opting to push it back to at least October. “There is a lot of stuff here to digest,” said Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry.

The first round of pay raises is set to take effect as early as Jan. 4, 2020, with the second round of pay increases taking effect in July (the start of fiscal 2021 for the county budget). The January pay hikes would come mid-budget year, and, as of Tuesday, officials did not yet know from where the money would come to fund the increases.

“We need to learn where we’re going to find the money,” said Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.

The county recently spent $13 million to fund the raises for its 1,800 public safety employees. At the time county leaders decided to do that, a funding source had yet to be identified, County Executive Christopher Martino reminded Supervisors.

The county government has 4,200 employees. Its goal is to make pay more competitive with neighboring Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland.

Supervisors Corey Stewart, At-large and Peter Candland (Gainesville) said Prince William County is more akin to neighboring Stafford or Fauquier counties and requested more information on what those counties pay their employees. Stafford County declined to participate in a salary survey sent out by Prince William County.

Ronnie Charles, Gallagher Benefit Services, a firm contracted to perform a pay study of county government employees, said this was common, referring to it as “survey fatigue.” Many jurisdictions are consistently asked to voluntarily participate in these types of pay surveys, he added.

Prince William County hasn’t adjusted its pay grades since 1997.

Featured photo: Ronnie Charles, Gallagher Benefit Services addresses the Board of County Supervisors.