Charleston County Council to vote on boosting own pay
By Prentiss Findlay, The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
If approved by the Council's
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Other elected officials up for raises are: County Coroner, 15 percent to
The proposed salary changes are the result of a four-year study authorized by
"A thorough review has been conducted and some equity adjustments are proposed to address historical and current pay issues," county Human Resources Director
The pay hikes would make
The pay review process began in 2010 when
Along with the pay raises, Council is also considering a new employee merit pay program that would begin in the seventh year of county service. Raises would be 1 to 2 percent, depending on available funding. The merit program would largely replace the cost-of-living adjustment.
The county's pay philosophy is that elected officials and staff should receive the market average, Stackhouse said.
The revised pay plan for employees would go into effect on
Pryor and several council members said the raises are necessary because of how time consuming the job has become as the area has grown, the extensive travel that is required for which officials are not reimbursed and the need to attract qualified candidates.
Because the pay is so low, most council members either have full-time jobs or are retired.
"Nobody is going to get rich off it," Pryor, a project manager for the
Councilman
"It's not something you do for the money. It's very demanding. It's a 24/7 type job," said Schweers, a
As a retired judge barred from being paid for serving in an elected position, Councilman
"I enjoy being a public servant. I enjoy being involved in the decision-making process for the public good," he said.
Salary matters when it comes to enticing others to participate on Council, he said.
"I've got to look at it very carefully," he said of the proposed pay hike.
In addition to pay, Council members are eligible for medical insurance and retirement benefits, he noted.
In urban areas such as
"I think they have a lot more on their plate," he said. "I think you have to look at how much time and effort they put into it.
"Those numbers don't strike me as excessive," he said of the proposed salaries.
According to Pryor, elected officials can only raise their pay in an election year. Council members
Council Chairman
Council member
Clerk of Court
Coroner
Register Mesne Conveyance
The
Source:
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