Posted May 30, 2023
The proposed fiscal year 2023-2024 budget includes significant efforts to ensure that Granville County is able to retain and attract the best employees to serve this community. Granville’s location serves as both a blessing and a curse providing an attractive location in the Raleigh-Durham Metropolitan Area but forcing Granville to compete with much larger and well-resourced jurisdictions to attract and retain talent.
In recent years, the Board of Commissioners has made a concerted effort to provide to attract and retain the best workforce possible, while also being careful stewards of the tax dollars paid by Granville residents. Recommendations from a pay study were implemented in 2021, but the labor market and the cost of living have changed so dramatically in the past two years that an even more thoughtful and proactive effort was needed. Exit interviews with departing employees have consistently shown that Granville’s pay becoming competitive with our neighboring jurisdictions would have a significant impact on retaining employees who are consistently “poached” by jurisdictions offering compensation packages that Granville County has not been able to compete with.
All county employees will receive a 4% cost of living adjustment and will be eligible for the maximum 4% merit pay increase. All non-law enforcement employees will also be eligible for an additional 1% employer match to their 401k, bringing the employer total to 2% (law enforcement employees receive a 6% employer 401k contribution as required by state law). County employees will be eligible to eliminate their required monthly contribution toward employee health insurance premium costs (if they meet the requirements of the county’s wellness program) and will see a 25% reduction in health insurance premiums paid to insure spouses and children.
All told, these unprecedented increases in employee compensation can be managed without an increase to the county’s tax rate. The hope is that remaining competitive and investing in Granville’s current and future workforce will ensure that county residents can expect to receive exemplary service and programs for years to come. The Board of Commissioners recognizes that this will be an ongoing process and does not expect any of these initiatives to permanently fix the issues faced by law enforcement and all public sector employers across the United States but views it as a critical first step.
For more information about the proposed improvements to employee compensation, view the graphics below or view the County Manager’s budget presentation. Minutes 18:46 through 27:53 detail employee pay and benefits.