County administrator hopes to include employee pay raise in budget

Cherokee County Interim Administrator Ben Clary isn't making any promises, but he will pull out all stops to provide his employees with a pay hike in the proposed budget.

A year ago, county employees received a 3 percent costof living raise.

"It's still too early to tell if it's permissible this year," Clary said.

Clary said he is awaiting word on how much the countywide reassessment will generate in revenue. By law, taxing bodies can't realize a revenue windfall as a result of reassessment. They must roll back their tax rates, if necessary, to stay under the cap that limits tax increases to the consumer price index and the county's population growth.

Clary already has said he will likely propose a tax increase similar to last year's 2.29-mill tax hike for county operations.

Last year, Cherokee County Council also approved a 1.8- mill increase to cover the county's debt service. Those increases added $16 a year in taxes on a home valued at $100,000.

Clary said he will likely have some preliminary budget figures for county council early next month.

Three readings and a public hearing are needed before the new budget takes effect July 1.