About 40 percent of Curry employees get raise

CLOVIS — About 40 percent of Curry County’s employees have received a raise with the adoption of the 2020 Fiscal Year County Salary Plan that will go in effect Sept. 8.

County Manager Lance Pyle said the last salary hike of this scale was in 2014, with smaller raises targeted at the sheriff’s department and detention center in 2015 and 2016.

Vincent A. Yermal presented the plan to the commission and said the goal was to get county employees as close as possible to the midpoint of a salary range determined by looking at similar positions in other counties.

Out of the 190 county employees, the plan increased the pay of 56 who fell below the minimum of their salary range at the cost of $73,641, which would be 1.38 percent of the payroll. The individual increases in salary range from $13 to $5,368.

There was then a second round of raises at 2.75 percent for 80 employees who were between the minimum and the mid points of their salary range and had worked for the county at least a year. That included some of the 56 employees who had just received raises, with the 2.75 percent raise increasing their new salary.

The plan also freezes pay increases for three county employees who came in above the maximum in their salary range, but offers advancement options for those who increase their qualifications. This mainly affects road worker positions that will have the opportunity to advance to a senior position with an increased pay range if they increase their qualifications.