Prince William County supervisors bucked a Northern Virginia trend Tuesday by not giving themselves a $15,000 raise in 2008.
The supervisors instead voted 6-2 to freeze their salaries in 2008 and then take a 3 percent raise over the next three years. The pay will stay at $39,737 next year, climbing to $43,422 in 2011 for the seven board supervisors and from $45,256 to $49,452 for the chairman.
The board faced heavy criticism for considering a much larger raise, to $55,067, after grinding through a difficult budget cycle in which they cut some programs and eliminated jobs.
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart and Supervisor John Stirrup voted against the increase, with Stewart saying the board should not take an extra penny.
“I would rather zero it out,”Stewart said. “I just don’t think in these times we should be increasing our salary.”
County Director of Human Resources Cleil Fitzwater had proposed the board adopt a $15,330 raise in 2008 and a $19,576 raise to $59,301 by 2011 as a reaction to inflation and neighborly competition.
After the Fairfax County board approved a $16,000 raise in April 2006 that set its 2008 salaries at $75,000, Loudoun County supervisors gave themselves an $18,600 raise to $41,000 a year and Arlington County approved a $15,400 raise to $49,000.
“If the board does not adopt a salary increase, our salaries will be the lowest in the region,” Fitzwater said.
Supervisor Mike May said he was having heartburn over the issue because it would be difficult to take a raise after cutting the county budget months earlier. He proposed the freeze and compromise raise, saying, “I think this is the fiscally responsible alternative.”
