A two-percent increase in employee compensation was finalized and approved at the Washington County Supervisors meeting Tuesday.  

The Board had previously voted on the increase in January, but needed to finalize the rate before the July 1st budget deadline. 

Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. shared his thoughts on the compensation, “I think next year, when we go into budgeting, when we start talking about the pay raises, and how we say the pay raise is separate from the operating budget. But one thing we haven’t done, is to take into consideration the extra money that goes on with benefits. When they get a pay raise, or pay raise estimate, it doesn’t include the benefits. So that’s an extra amount that I think we should consider. So, I think, that might be a reason when I talk about pay and benefits then the amount of an increase that I will be looking at would include not just base pay but include benefits.”  

This is the first budget cycle in which the County didn’t utilize a compensation board in setting the rates. The fiscal year 2026 rate will take effect on July 1st.