COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County's Board of Commissioners will consider a budget on Tuesday night that could increase the minimum wage for county employees to $17 an hour.
The county board is expected to adopt the budget for Fiscal Year 2023 - which begins in October - at its meeting at 7 p.m.
In a release last month, Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said the $1.15 billion proposed budget needed to prioritize growing and retaining the county workforce.
Much of that workforce, that release said, "has left for higher-paying positions elsewhere."
Cupid has said the county needs 658 new positions - with the budget supplying just fewer than 150 (147) new full-time positions. Many of those new positions would come for county administrative, support and public services, such as for parks and libraries. Several would be for the Department of Transportation and a large number would be reserved for courts and law enforcement.
"Driving around town and seeing fast-food restaurants and other retail services providing entry-level pay of $15 an hour and to hear stories of our workers struggling to put food on the table has been disheartening," Cupid said in a statement. “Hopefully, this will make us more competitive and attractive for those who are committed to serving our public.”
According to the county, the overall budget grew for FY 2023 thanks in part to tax revenue coming in higher as a result of the hot residential real estate market.
According to the county, many of the county workforce priorities are in response to "issues raised during recent cityhood movements and heard in a series of town halls" - including concerns about parks and code enforcement.
“I hope this will help show those who were active in the cityhood movements that we were listening and want to be responsive to the needs they shared,” Cupid said.