Almost $9 million is proposed to implement a revised Roanoke County pay scale over a three-year span, prioritizing regular raises for its more than 1,000 full-time employees, rather than increasing salaries as an afterthought like in years past, county officials said. Wages dwindling below the pace of inflation have caused difficulty recruiting and retaining employees, especially in the realm of public safety, according to both Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall and now-retired Fire Chief Steve Simon. Roanoke County Police Department lost 35 uniformed officers since January 2020, with only five of those leaving by retirement, county data said. In the proposal, fire and rescue workers will see $2.5 million for improved wages over the three-year period, while the police payroll receives $2.2 million and sheriff’s department employees get $1.1 million. All other county staff will receive the remaining $3.1 million, allocated using a different system.