DeKalb County CEO, board of commissioners give retention bonuses to 6,000 employees

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Around 6,000 DeKalb County employees went home with an extra $1,500 this holiday season after County CEO Michael Thurmond approved a retention bonus.

“Our employees are DeKalb County’s most valuable asset,” Thurmond said. “Their commitment, dedication and hard work during some of the toughest times in DeKalb’s history have been invaluable.”

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Employees eligible for the bonus received their $1,500 payment in November, the city said.

Since the pandemic, Thurmond and the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners have authorized several bonuses and pay raises.

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Those include:

• August 2021 — $2,000 one-time retention incentive payment to employees.
• In November 2022 — Non-frontline employees received a $1,000 retention incentive.
• April 2022 — Public safety employees received a $3,000 one-time retention incentive payment.
• April 2023:
• Starting salary for police recruits was increased to $55,000 and $51,000 for fire recruits.
• The minimum wage for county employees was increased to $17 per hour, up from $15 per hour.

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