Grant County workers receive small raise

EPHRATA — The Grant County commissioners approved a 2 percent pay raise for a majority of the county’s employees.

Eight of the county’s nine bargaining units accepted the change from the normal increases to a flat 2 percent increase. The increase does not include the elected officials.

The commissioners decided to freeze “step increases.” When employees are hired for a job, they receive a pay increase after six months and a second one after a year depending on how they are evaluated, Human Resources Director Tammie Hechler said. After the first year, employees have the opportunity to move up a step each year depending on their evaluations. Each position has seven pay steps.

The 2 percent pay increase was decided to help county’s 2010 budget, Commissioner Richard Stevens said, adding normally employees would see a 2.5 percent raise if they move up a step, and a lot of employees have reached the maximum level.

“They didn’t get anything in 2009 and they wouldn’t get anything again in 2010. In the fairness situation, it’s better to offer it across the board to everybody, so that you’re treating them all alike,” he said.

Commissioner Carolann Swartz pointed out the decision for the increase was delayed while the county waited to see if Initiative 1033 would pass. The initiative would have limited the amount of revenue for the county.

After the initiative failed, the commissioners decided 2 percent was all the county could afford, Stevens said, adding the change will result in an additional $300,000 to the 2010 budget. The money, along with $500,000 in increased health insurance costs, will come out of the $1.7 million the county plans to have remaining in next year’s budget.

“The only part of our budget that’s gone up is medical and the wages. The rest has stayed pretty flat,” he said. “We hope a percentage of that $1.7 million will get back into reserves.”