Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper says he will recommend the county set aside money to give its employees raises during the fiscal year that starts July 1.
The commission is set to discuss the budget at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. Carper said he will recommend setting aside $500,000 for the raises, and commissioners will vote on the proposed raises at a later public meeting in April or May.
"What I will recommend is that we set aside money and see what the final numbers are," Carper said.
Tax collections in February were up compared to that time last year, county Finance Director Kim Fleck said.
"So that's good news with regard to [discussion of raises]," she said. "Obviously, this is something the commission would like to be able to do; that's why were looking it. We just want to be sure the funds are available."
The 2014-15 fiscal year was the last time employees got raises, Fleck said.
As of Feb. 23, the county had 439 employees, but the number fluctuates, Fleck said. Raising their salaries by $1,000 each would cost the county $550,000 with the costs of retirement and tax matches, she said.
Carper said he thinks he'll recommend a 2.5 percent across-the-board raise. The raise would do little more than make up for some cost of living increases over the past couple years.
"Some people will say, 'How do you recommend giving raises?' Carper said. "Basically, it's at best an attempt to catch up a little on the cost of living they've suffered. What hasn't gone up except natural gas and gasoline? Everything else has."
Carper said Kanawha County has avoided the budget crises that have befallen other counties.
"The question is, who actually helped us do that?" he said. "The answer is our employees."
Carper said the county has cut spending from its budget in the recent years. It will also get around $200,000 in extra income from transmission lines in the county. The county has had a hiring freeze for a few years, except for adding a part-time position for family court, he said.
Commissioner Ben Salango has also expressed a desire to give county employees raises.
"I wouldn't want to do what [sheriff's deputies] do," Salango told the Gazette-Mail last month. "That's a dangerous job, and they're underpaid and I think they need to be compensated fairly. The folks in the Clerk's Office work hard; I think they need to be compensated fairly."
Reach Lori Kersey at Lori.Kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.