Those pushing for better pay, benefits and retention for Cobb public safety workers haven’t been optimistic their issues will be addressed before the fiscal year 2020 budget takes effect in October.
They’ve been lobbying Cobb commissioners for weeks to take some immediate steps, and on Tuesday the county chairman’s office announced a proposal for a one-time bonus for police, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies to be voted on next week.
The bonuses come to more than $2.7 million in all, with the money coming from the county’s general fund and fire fund budgets, according to figures provided by Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt.
The bonus, which would be a flat amount of $1,475 per person, “is the first of a multi-phase approach” to addressing public safety salary and retention matters, Chairman Mike Boyce said in a statement, adding that commissioners “will be considering other measures in the weeks ahead.”
He didn’t specify what those may be. The next commission meeting is a week from today, on May 28.
The bonus is considered a merit-based payment, and will go to employees in the police, fire and sheriff’s departments who scored satisfactory or higher job performance ratings last year.
Cavitt said the current county budget for police and fire should accommodate the bonuses, but that the sheriff’s department would need an additional $694,964.
The police and sheriff’s departments are funded through the county’s general fund. Cavitt said the raises for police personnel comes to $1,004,844.
The firefighters bonuses would come from a surplus in personnel services funds and would cost $1,048,253, Cavitt said.
Susan Hampton of East Cobb, a citizen leading the effort for better pay, has been handing out flyers (see above and below) detailing what she and other citizens and public safety staffers have been calling a crisis.
Earlier this spring Boyce said he would be asking commissioners for a three-percent merit-based pay raise for all county employees, and another two percent for public safety. 
Hampton has said that’s not enough, saying that a “five-percent pay raise will not make Cobb competitive” with other jurisdictions in metro Atlanta.
She says the money is there to address staffing shortages and pay and retention problems now, due to the growth in the county tax digest.
The Cobb Fraternal Order of Police has asked for a 10-percent pay raise.
The proposed bonuses come shortly after former Cobb Police Chief Mike Register was named the county’s public safety director.
In the county release, Register issued a statement saying that “I’m optimistic there are more options being considered by the Board of Commissioners who I believe are committed to addressing the ongoing problem.”
Related stories
- Cobb public safety advocates say proposed raise is not enough
- Boyce proposes 5-percent public safety raise in draft budget
- Commissioners pressed to act now to address public safety “crisis”
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