County BOC Approves Plan to Raise Public Safety Personnel Salaries

Franklin County Public Safety Personnel will be getting a $1/hr pay raise beginning in April.

Franklin County Commissioners approved the pay increase after hearing from County EMS Director and Interim County Manager Terry Harris last week.

Harris said at the time that the county was losing good medics and EMT’s to other counties where the pay scales are higher.

And he said new medics and EMT’s graduating from school are opting to go with private ambulance services for better pay and benefits.

The same he said is true for deputies and jailers with the Franklin County Sheriff’s office.

Monday night, at the Board’s request, Harris brought a breakdown of the cost to the County to bring those employees’ wages up to par with surrounding counties.

Harris said he ran a cost-analysis on what it would cost the county to give safety personnel a one-dollar an hour pay raise between now and the end of the fiscal year.

“That figure comes up to $86,907.27 for combined EMS and SO employees. That is, 28 EMS employees and 33 Franklin County SO employees,” he said.

That would bring EMS employee’s starting salary up to $17.03/hr and starting deputies salary would be $17.47/hr.

Non-certified jailers would get a raise to $11.88/hr and certified jailers pay would go up to $12.86/hr, according to Sheriff Steve Thomas.

Beginning July 1, the annual cost next fiscal year to the County, Harris said, would be $240,080.01.

After hearing form Harris, Commissioners voted unanimously to give County EMS employees working on med units and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputies and jailers a one-dollar an hour pay raise.

That raise will take effect the second part of this month and show up on their paychecks April 1.

Funding for the pay raise is still being worked out but Harris recommended using part of the remaining CARES Act funds the County was awarded by the federal government and also look for other sources of funding.

Harris said the County has over $300,000 left in the CARES Act fund.