Richmond County sheriff, fire chief request employee raises | The Augusta Chronicle

Fearing an improving economy may cause deputies and firefighters to seek better-paying jobs, Richmond County’s sheriff and fire chief asked the Augusta Commission on Thursday for a 5 percent raise for all their employees.

The one-time salary increase – the first in five years for either department – could result in the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office’s 755 employees receiving an extra $1.8 million in their paychecks next year. The 335 workers at the Augusta Fire Department would receive a cumulative raise of $800,000.

Though the requests seemed to win some support during an informal budget work session, City Administrator Fred Russell said an across-the-board raise among all city personnel is the preferred way to handle pay increases.

via Richmond County sheriff, fire chief request employee raises | The Augusta Chronicle.