Cobb’s police officers, deputies and fire personnel could see their paychecks padded by a one-time payment of nearly $1,500 under a proposal set for a vote by county commissioners next week.
Tuesday’s announcement of the potential payment comes after weeks of community outcry from former and current public safety employees and their supporters who claim lagging salaries are leading uniformed staff to jump to jobs in other jurisdictions or the private sector.
In a news release Tuesday, the county announced a plan to offer a $1,475 merit-based payment for sworn officers and deputies as well as certified firefighter personnel. The payments, if approved by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, would go to qualified employees in the three departments who scored satisfactory or higher job performance ratings in 2018. The money would not factor into pension calculations, but would require commissioners to revise the county’s compensation policy and amend the pension plan, according to county spokesperson Ross Cavitt.