Riley County Commissioners on Monday unanimously approved mid-year pay increases for county employees, effective July 1.
The increase will include a fiscal impact of $1.2 million in the 2022 budget, and includes over $860,000 in salaries and nearly $340,000 in benefits. The county says its part of a strategy to improve employee retention and recruitment, dependent on the current market value as determined by evaluation of job responsibilities and comparable compensation.
To fund it, Riley County will capture existing funds, previously approved for the 2022 budget which are the result of higher than usual employee turnover. That includes unused benefits that have accumulated from a number of unfilled positions in multiple departments.
A second phase of the salary increase proposal will be included in 2023 budget discussions, which will begin in June.