SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — The City of South Fulton is now the highest-paying municipality in the entire state of Georgia after the city council voted unanimously Tuesday to increase the minimum wage for all city employees to $20 an hour.
All seven council members made history by making the city the first in Georgia to pay its employees a minimum of $20 an hour.
“It can encourage them to work harder, boost morale with getting their pay rate up," Nyliece Raiford said.
Raiford works for the City of South Fulton's Parks and Recreation Department, and she will get a raise from $17 an hour.
“I think it will help me by being able to have a little bit more cushion, something I can start investing to myself instead of just going paycheck to paycheck," Raiford said. "Whatever I want to go spend for fun, I try to cut back on that because I know I have bills.”
The City of South Fulton has 709 employees. Interim City Manager Sharon Subadan told 11Alive the minimum wage increase affects 197 positions. That includes 143 current employees and 54 vacant positions.
Paying all city employees at least $20 an hour will cost taxpayers $1.3 million a year. That’s according to the city manager, but council members believe it’s well worth it.
“It will help the City of South Fulton to become more competitive and will make people want to come here and work because we value our employees," South Fulton Councilwoman Helen Z. Willis said.
Willis said the council passed the resolution to help people who are dealing with hard times after the pandemic.
“We think that that will help that will help address some of the issues with inflation and the now higher cost of rent, food and gas prices," Willis said.
“There won’t be employees looking for other jobs in the same type of area," Raiford said.
The minimum wage increase goes into effect on Sunday, Oct. 1.