Prince William County Board members are considering giving themselves a 49 percent raise over the next four years, ultimately increasing their salaries by nearly $20,000.
A proposal slated for Tuesday’s board meeting would increase supervisors’ salaries $15,330 next year from $39,737 to $55,067 and include annual 2.5 percent increases through 2011. The chairman’s salary would climb from $45,256 to $59,633.
Tuesday’s debate could be prickly because it will come just months after supervisors passed a budget that cut county programs and increased the tax rate.
“My main concern is we had to make so many cutbacks this year, it’s a real tough year to do anything like this,” board Chairman Corey Stewart said. “It’s too bad that we couldn’t have made this adjustment after the economy recovers.”
Supervisors cannot raise salaries for their current term, so waiting a year is not an option. Salary increases are approved in an election year and become effective in January after a new board takes office.
The proposal, generated by the department of human relations, represented the average of three other Northern Virginia jurisdictions, including Fairfax County, where board members earn $75,000 and Loudoun County, where board members earn $41,000.
“We look at all of our salaries and ask what we need to do to make them competitive,” said Cleil Fitzwater, Prince William County director of human relations. “It is consistent with what we do for all other county positions.”
Other counties made similar moves, with Arlington County salaries leaping 45 percent from $33,723 to $49,000 and Fairfax County salaries climbing 27 percent from $59,000 to $75,000. Raises in all both counties take effect in 2008.
