MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Monongalia County’s budget for the next fiscal year includes pay increases for county employees, a decline in property taxes and a re-commitment to the county’s top priorities.
The Monongalia County Commission recently approved the budget, in which around 53% of spending will go toward salaries, benefits, facilities, data processing and bonds on the Monongalia County Justice Center.
Commissioner Sean Sikora told MetroNews affiliate WAJR-AM that part-time and full-time employees will receive pay increases.
“Each full-time employee will get a 3% increase and no less than a $1,500 increase as part of the salary action,” he said. “We’ve also included that for part-time employees.”
Commissioners also approved a 7% increase in public safety spending. Officials developed a new pay structure for the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office.
“We worked directly with the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department this year to install a new pay rate scale that will help Sheriff [Perry] Palmer with vacancies he has,” Sikora said.
The sheriff’s office currently has seven vacancies.
Despite health care and benefit costs increasing, Sikora said employees will not pay more for coverage.
“We’ve done a good job in holding the line,” he explained. “Over the last six years, we haven’t raised their benefits at all. In fact, we’ve lowered the cost of their benefits.”
The budget also allocates $1.7 million for tourism, parks and the arts; more than $1 million for local health programs; and nearly $500,000 for social services. The county commission additionally will dedicate around $1 million for non-profits; Sikora noted the funding is a 22% increase over the current fiscal year.
“Having a fiscally responsible budget and really knowing where all the dollars are and where they’re going to go and what is needed in the future is really important,” he said. “We’re going to have to make changes, we’re going to have to adjust to what comes from future Legislatures