Study Says County Workers Are Underpaid: Report

Many employees of the DeKalb County government are underpaid compared with workers in neighboring jurisdictions, a new study found, according to a media report.

But county officials say the results of the study are unlikely to lead to a pay raise, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Preliminary results of the study, conducted by a human resources consulting firm, showed that pay ranges for DeKalb workers are 10 percent to 15 percent lower than similar jurisdictions, the Journal-Constitution reported. And a large portion of the county’s workers trail market pay rates by 25 percent to 30 percent, including those in jobs like electrician, auditor and property appraiser.

Pay ranges for police and other DeKalb County public safety employees are generally in line with market rates, said Chip King, an executive with the consulting firm. Among other recommendations, he said he will call for the county to adopt new pay ranges for other types of employees that are closer to those of neighboring jurisdictions.

The county’s 2016 budget proposal, due to be presented Dec. 15, will include options for pay adjustments, the Journal-Constitution reported. Full-time DeKalb employees received a 3 percent pay raise last year, their first in seven years.