Board of Supervisors
Dec. 18, 2020
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA — The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors cleared the way for record employee, infrastructure and economic investment after voting unanimously on Wednesday, Dec. 16 to amend the county’s FY21 budget.
One of the largest amendments approved by the Board of Supervisors is dedicating $13.5 million to address public safety pay – the largest such investment to public safety in county history.
The approved measure will make starting salaries for Chesterfield Police, Sheriff and Fire/EMS employees some of the most competitive in the state. It establishes a new step plan for public safety career advancements and eradicate pay compression for Chesterfield Police, Sheriff and Fire/EMS.
Increases to county public safety compensation are part of a pay study conducted earlier this year at the request of the Board of Supervisors.
Aside from addressing compensation for public safety workers, other FY21 budget amendments highlight additional investment in the county’s government workforce that include, a 2% merit raise, lifting all departmental hiring freezes and dedicated resources for new equipment and infrastructure.
Other approved amendments include:
- The acquisition of strategic economic development sites.
- $3 million for synthetic turf replacement and installing stadium seating on one of the athletic fields at River City Sportsplex.
- Hiring 10 full-time librarians.
- Recruiting and hiring a new planning assistant director.
- Increases to the county’s custodial contract to keep pace with COVID-19 protocols.
The Board of Supervisors also allocated $8.2 million in savings from Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) for a 2% bonus for eligible employees. View the full discussion on the Board of Supervisors’ decision.
The FY21 budget was first approved in April. However, the Board of Supervisors shaved roughly $52 million from the original proposed budget through a series of measures that included furloughs and hiring freezes because of the economic uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, a rise in local sales tax receipts, continued robust residential development and early cost-saving measures in April provided $54 million additional revenue capacity.
Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chair Leslie Haley said the approved amendments to the FY21 budget is an investment in the county’s future.
“Our longstanding conservative approach to fiscal planning and critical decision making early into the pandemic have helped us weather a months-long storm of economic uncertainty,” Haley said. “We are very happy and proud that such a significant portion of the budget amendments be devoted toward overall investment in the county’s workforce, whose commitment to service has shined during these challenging times."
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