By Julie E. Greene Feb 10, 2020
Washington County will meet new minimum-wage requirements six months ahead of the state’s mandated schedule moving forward.
The county commissioners, by consensus, recently agreed to provide raises to meet the new minimum-wage scale, effective July 1 of each year instead of Jan. 1 of the following year.
For budgetary and administrative reasons — the county’s budget year starts July 1 — Chief Financial Officer Sara Greaves requested the raises kick in six months earlier in the future.
Greaves no longer is recommending a separate pay scale for part-time employees. Further analysis showed a separate pay scale would, in some cases, benefit temporary employees more than year-round employees, she said.
Instead, county officials might review the pay scale in 2025, after the state-mandated minimum-wage increases have finished, Greaves said.
The remaining concern is that bumping up pay for those making minimum wage creates a compressed area of the pay scale where some employees could be making around the same amount of money as their supervisors.
Greaves said any recommended step and cost-of-living pay raises could help separate that gap. Such pay raises, if proposed, would be discussed during the budget process.
The state-mandated minimum-wage increases began this Jan. 1, increasing from $10.10 per hour to $11. That move was expected to affect an estimated 155 county employees.
State legislation calls for increasing the minimum wage every year through 2025, when it would become $15 an hour.
Washington County decides against separate pay scale for part-timers