Brunswick County Commissioners pass employee pay increases

BOLIVIA, N.C. (WECT) - The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners will meet on Monday night at 6 p.m. to discuss increased pay for county employees. Other items on the agenda include bathroom repairs and new Environmental Health employees.

After conducting a study on the county’s employee compensation practices, the Piedmont Triad Regional Council will present their findings alongside recommendations for the future.

As proposed by the PTRC, the county will consider spending an estimated $1.85 million on increasing employee pay across the board. This would be implemented via two new pay grade plans: one for public safety employees and one for other county employees. In practice, this means pay increases and higher minimum salaries for many employees.

The absolute minimum salary would increase from $25,979 to $30,098, and the absolute maximum salary would increase from $231,016 to $282,238 at the highest pay grade (grade 45).

So far, the recommendations do not place anyone the highest grade. The County Manager would move from the current highest pay grade to grade 43 in the new scale.

While that $1.85 million pays for the pay increases up to the end of the fiscal year, the estimated annual cost would be $9.78 million starting with FY 22-23 in October. That annual cost includes $440,000 for scheduled overtime and longevity and $1.98 million for retirement, 401Ks, Long-Term Disability and FICA.

The full presentation was at the Board of Commissioners meeting.

The Brunswick County Commissioners passed the bill as of April 18, a nearly unanimous decision with only Patricia Sykes voting against it.

Other items on the agenda

According to a resolution, increased septic system applications in the past three years have lead to excessive wait times for system assessments. Fifty-two percent of applicants end up waiting over four weeks to have their requests addressed. To address this, Health Services is requesting a $29,081 appropriation from the general fund to assist in hiring two new Environmental Health Specialists.

“Environmental Health revenues are on track to surpass the budgeted amount by at least 25%, thus resulting in over $150,000 in additional revenues,” writes Health Services in the request.

Another request would approve bond-funded bathroom renovation contracts with Stonehenge Building Contract and Timeless Properties for $362,559 and $361,530 respectively. That funding pays for renovations in over 20 bathrooms across various Brunswick County schools.

One resolution would allow the county to use ARPA grant funding to extend sewer service to Waccamaw Elementary School.

“The project will allow for the decommissioning of the aging wastewater treatment facility at the school and the transfer of wastewater to the County’s treatment facility via a transmission force main along Longwood Road,” writes the county in a release.

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