After adopting the provision last year, Cumberland County supervisors have decided to do away with the way it provides raises to its staff. Following a closed session regarding personnel, the board voted to remove the specific policy provision.

“The step increases that were put into the personnel manual last year, they want to remove that … and address raises and things in the future differently,” County Administrator and Attorney Vivian Seay Giles said. “I was instructed to do that from the personnel manual and, anybody who was already entitled to it, go ahead and accelerate it … but to get rid of the provision.”

Eighty-six people work for Cumberland County, according to Giles; 75 are full-time and 11 are part-time employees.

The step increases, which provided a 5 percent salary raise to the employees, were based on five-year anniversaries of their employment for the county. The raises were indefinite under the policy, Giles said.

“Some people have already gotten it … Anybody who hasn’t, they’ll get it,” she said of the anticipated five-year step increase for employees awaiting their respective anniversaries.

If they have not reached their respective five-year step, they will get the raise now, Giles said of the employees. “But that provision will come out and any sorts of raises and things in the future, they’ll look at different options.”

District Two Supervisor and Board Chairman Lloyd Banks said he voiced concerned about the staggered step increases prior to the board approving the handbook.

“From an equity perspective, I am thankful for the recent correction,” Banks said. “Concerning pay increases in the current year, I could not vote in favor of the measure during a year when the board concurrently raised the tax rate.”

Giles said the county’s school system uses a similar methodology.

“That’s one reason we looked at it,” Giles said.

District Three Supervisor Kevin Ingle said the issue the board ran into was whether or not it was fair for one employee to get a raise and another have to wait four years because of their five-year anniversary date.

“And it’s all pending whatever the board does at budget time (as to) whether or not those would be approved for that year,” Ingle said, adding that to eliminate problems “with, you know, money shortages or something like that and then their step increases would be put on hold for a certain year, that would just get the whole five-year rotation all to pieces.”

Ingle said some localities increase their employees’ salaries every year by 1 or 1.5 percent.

“There will be some sit down and some discussion because, with the insurance jumping like it’s doing for the county employees, if you don’t have some type of increase in there, then they come out losing money every year,” Ingle said.