Chesterfield supervisors boost pay for county employees Chesterfield County (Source: Chesterfield County Government) By NBC12 Newsroom | December 18, 2020 at 10:37 PM EST - Updated December 18 at 10:37 PM
CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - Chesterfield Countyâs finances are in much better shape than predicted at the start of the pandemic, and for that reason, the county is giving its employees a nice Christmas present.
This week, supervisors approved a 2 percent merit pay increase and a 2 percent bonus for eligible employees.
They also approved a boost to starting salaries for police officers, sheriffâs deputies, and fire and EMS. The county says theyâll be among the highest in the state.
Chesterfield Supervisors Adopt Amended Budget & Pass New Ordinances
Chesterfield police officers, as well as other public safety employees such as firefighters, will be getting a two-percent pay raise thanks to a newly passed amended budget. (Photo: Ian Stewart/VPM News)
The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors approved adding $75 million to the current budget at a meeting Wednesday.
The additional funds are coming from a surplus from last year’s budget and from revenues projected for this year.
That surplus is $54 million. In a phone call Wednesday morning, acting Budget Director Gerard Durkin said much of the surplus was from a big jump in sales tax collection from local businesses and online sales. Also the local housing market is still strong. The county is forecasting stronger real estate revenue in 2021, which is higher than earlier predictions. Both areas saw an increase from people staying in the county and not buying products and services from neighboring locales, such