Dougherty Commission wants to compensate employees without raising taxes

ALBANY — Medical expenses that skyrocketed over the previous year are half of the anticipated 3% increase in Dougherty County’s Fiscal year 2021-2022 budget, leaving elected officials scrambling to provide a pay increase for employees.

Medical costs jumped significantly in March 2020 at the time the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, and the county experienced another sharp increase over the last three months of the year that continued into March.

Health insurance costs will add about $1.4 million to the spending plan that begins July 1, the Dougherty County Commission heard during a Monday meeting. The commission’s Finance Committee has recommended a $73.03 million budget.

With some additions recommended by county staff, the figure increases to about $73.6 million. The health care costs represent about 1.5 percent of the 3 percent anticipated increase in spending over last year.

“We had claims of $100,000, $200,000, $300,000 that hit at one time,” Commissioner Ed Newsome, chairman of the Finance Committee, said during an interview following the meeting. “A lot of that was related to COVID. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

The proposed budget includes no funding for salary increases, but commissioners said during the session that providing a pay hike or one-time payment to employees is a priority.

Much of the discussion centered around federal stimulus payments coming to the county through the American Recovery Act passed by Congress earlier this year. The county has been notified it will receive $17 million, and there could be additional payments made through the legislation.

While capital funding applies to sewer, water and widening broadband internet access, there could be money available for other purposes.

Newsome said that he believes money for first responders, which includes paramedics and police officers, will be part of the package.

“You talk about Public Works … to me that is the backbone of the county,” Commissioner Victor Edwards said. “You talk about police, and we need police. I don’t see how we can leave that out.”

Ed Wall, the county’s financial advisor, said that the consensus during a board retreat earlier this year was that there was no way to include a pay hike in the upcoming budget without enacting a tax increase.

While the federal money likely will not be available to use for employee pay, it could plug other gaps in the budget that could free up money for that purpose, he told commissioners.

“There’s not a commissioner up here that doesn’t want to give a pay raise,” Newsome said. “At least we have this pot of money.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f714026fc83d6150ab9a4350b4169940?s=100&d=mm&r=gStaff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
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