- March 11, 2025
Since Flagler County staff will not be issued pay raises next year in an effort to keep the budget in check, the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners instead set aside funds for a one-time pay adjustment for county employees.
The County Commission decided unanimously Monday at its regular meeting to give county employees who earn a salary below $60,000 a one-time pay adjustment of $400. Those making a higher salary will receive $200.
The pay adjustments do not apply to any elected officials and will be paid by Christmas.
Commissioner George Hanns said that with all the money that’s been saved in recent years between making programs more efficient and obtaining grant funds, county employees deserve an increase — even if small — in their pay.
He also supported increasing the planned cost of these pay adjustments by $15,000, noting that when the county increased the personal contribution employees must provide for their health insurance, it posed a “significant” burden on employees.
Flagler County Clerk Gail Wadsworth spoke during public comment and asked that the County Commission omit her department from the pay adjustments. Half of her staff is funded by Flagler County, and the rest is funded by the state of Florida.
“I can’t give to half of my staff and not the other half,” Wadsworth said. “It’s not fair.”
Commissioners pressed Wadsworth, asking her to think of her staff, but she stood firm: An uneven pay adjustment wasn’t right.
Peterson said that, so long as the County Commission stuck with its preferred pay adjustment plan, he would be willing to incur the additional cost of extending the pay to the entire clerk’s office.
Including state-funded clerk’s employees would raise the cost by about $9,000, Coffey said.
The inclusion would add fewer than 25 employees to the pay adjustment roster.
The board added a stipulation to its motion that, so long as it was found legally permissible, the County Commission would include state-funded clerk of court employees.
The motion passed unanimously.
The money will be delegated to departments in a lump sum as an amendment to their budgets.
“The bottom line here,” Coffey said, “is that employees appreciate anything you can do. … I think it’ll send a big message to your employees that you appreciate them.”
