DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — The Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved a plan to boost the starting salaries for sheriff’s deputies and provide pay increases to all county employees.
Commissioners made the announcement Friday, also saying that a special called meeting had included a vote to roll back the county’s millage rate.
The votes were unanimous, according to the announcement.
Both the commission and Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds announced the pay increases, noting how it could impact the workforce.
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The Board of Commissioners said the new millage rate, a decrease from 12.563 to 12.313, was part of adopting the first phase of the county’s “Douglas Forward Reinvestment Plan.”
County employees will now receive pay increases between 2% and 7%, dependent on tenure and a few other undisclosed factors, starting Sept. 30.
“Our employees are our most valuable asset,” said Interim County Administrator Dr. David Corbin. An investment in our workforce is an investment in our community and our goal of delivering superior service to the citizens of Douglas County. This investment also aligns with the Douglas Forward 2025 Strategic Plan objective to ‘attract, develop, and retain a great workforce.’ We appreciate the Board of Commissioners’ commitment to our team and the value they have placed upon their contributions to our government and our community,” Interim County Administrator Dr. David Corbin said in a statement.
The raises for county employees are expected to come from a planned $5.3 million in the budget specifically for salary investment, including for county sheriff’s deputies.
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Sheriff’s deputies will see starting salary increases rise nearly $8,000, meaning increases for deputies’ starting salaries will go from $50,774 to $58,500, which officials said was the second highest start for pay in the Atlanta metro area, only beaten out by Fulton County.
“I stand here today extremely grateful for each of and every one of you,” Pounds said in a statement. He said the higher salaries would help the sheriff’s office both hire and retain a talented team of employees.
Additionally, the sheriff said deputies were not alone when it came to salary increases.
“This raise places the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as the third highest paid Sheriff’s Office in the Metro Atlanta Area and in the top 10 of all law enforcement agencies in the state. Based on your experience and current POST Certifications our new starting salary range is $58,500-$69,538 for a Deputy Sheriff,” Pounds said. “We are awaiting confirmation, but our jailer positions got an increase too. We anticipate a certified jailer to start at $52,983.”
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