Mt. Pleasant Town Council votes to implement raises for town employees

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Mt. Pleasant Town Council voted unanimously to implement raises for all town employees on Tuesday.

This discussion has been going on for over a year. In early 2020, the town commissioned a third party, The Archer Company, to conduct a compensation and classification study that compares salaries of town employees to those in other municipalities in the region.

Study results were originally supposed to be implemented in mid to late 2020, but that was delayed because of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. In September 2021, the study was updated and those results are now being implemented.

“We were always committed to the pay increase and it was based on a study of wage and class and comparing it to the region. It got delayed because of COVID and I think some folks spread the word that it wasn’t gonna happen. We always said it was gonna happen,” said Mt. Pleasant Mayor, Will Haynie.

The raises are not a set percentage but are based on the market value of a position. Some employees may receive the minimum 3% raise, others could receive substantially more.

Overall, the total cost of implementing the long-awaited pay raises will be around $2.6 million. Employees should start to see the raises reflected on their paychecks in early November.

“For one it’s the right thing to do and for two, that’s the standard we have for Mt. Pleasant,” said Mayor Haynie.

On top of raises across the board, some employees will also receive a one-time bonus for their work during the pandemic. These bonuses are for what town leaders call “critical workers,” essentially people who continued to work in-person during the six-week shutdown at the beginning of the pandemic. First responders, building inspectors, and more. These employees will get a bonus of up to $2,500.

“There are people that exposed themselves…were exposed to the virus during COVID and put themselves at risk,” explained the Mayor.

First responders specifically have been fighting for the raises and bonuses for months.

One town council meeting earlier this year brought dozens of firefighters and a few police officers to stand in support of those making their voice heard during the public comment portion.

We reached out to both Mt. Pleasant Police and Fire Departments for a statement regarding the vote and both declined to comment.

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Author: Katie Augustine