Calhoun City administrator Paul Worley said the raises are temporary for now but may become permanent if adequate funding is found.The city council in Calhoun, Georgia, approved mid-fiscal year hourly pay increases for city and public safety employees last week, an increase of $1 per hour more for city employees and $1.50 more per hour for public safety employees at the Calhoun Police Department and Fire Department.
Employees must either be full time or work at least 18 hours per week on a part-time basis to be eligible and must make less than $78,100 annually. The increase will be put into place in time for the first pay period of February.
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The raises, which will be funded by American Rescue Plan funds approved by Democrats in Congress last year, are intended to make the city more competitive and attract top talent. They are currently considered temporary, as the American Rescue Plan funds are only available once, but city administrator Paul Worley said city officials are working to find a permanent funding solution.
“We are very excited to be able to offer this raise to city employees and public safety employees. It helps people deal with inflation and the cost of living but it also will help us, as the city, to attract the best possible people when we lose employees to retirement or when they leave, for whatever reason,” Worley said during a call with the Times Free Press on Friday morning. “Right now, we are funding the raise through the American Rescue Plan but our goal is to be able to fund these increases permanently.”