Coffee County committee advances longevity pay proposal for county employees

The Coffee County Pay/Benefits Ad Hoc committee on May 13, 2024, advanced a proposed longevity pay program for county employees and referred an amended plan to the Policy and Procedures committee for additional review. The meeting took place at CCAP-Conference Room 1 and also included routine approval of prior minutes.

Tim Stubblefield, Committee member, moved to approve the minutes from March 28 and April 22, 2024; Tim Brown, Committee member, seconded the motion and the minutes were approved unanimously. Public comment was recorded as none.

During new business the committee proposed a longevity pay structure that would make employees eligible after five years of employment with Coffee County Government. The proposal described the longevity award as a one-time payment to be considered each year by the county commission. The plan includes a cap of $3,000 after 30 years of service.

Committee members also approved an amendment to the proposed longevity pay that would exclude elected officials from eligibility. The amended proposal was sent to the Policy and Procedures committee for further approval and any additional refinement before coming to the full commission.

In old business the committee said it would reach out again to the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) and to other counties to gather salary-comparison information, and it agreed to include Thompson and Associates by phone at an upcoming meeting to explain how other counties implement and maintain salary structures.

There were no votes recorded on the longevity proposal itself at this meeting; the committee’s formal action was to amend the plan and refer it for review. With no further discussion, the meeting adjourned. The referral to Policy and Procedures is the next procedural step for the longevity proposal.