City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 18, 2020
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration and Approval of the Pass-through of State Compensation Board Money to Sworn Sheriff’s Department Personnel.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: The late addition to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Budget Bill (HB 5005) of partial State funding for a one-time bonus payment for sworn sheriffs, deputies and regional jail officers.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council, in carrying out the intent of the recently adopted State budget bill, approve the payment of one-time $500 bonuses to all sworn employees of the Sheriff’s Office.
BACKGROUND: The General Assembly has recently approved funding for a reimbursable one-time $500 bonus payment for sworn sheriffs, deputies, and regional jail officers effective December 1, 2020. The State Compensation Board provides a subsidy for salaries for a few City functions including the Sheriff’s Office. A majority of the funding for the Sheriff’s Office is provided by City and federal funding sources. The State Budget Bill also only provides a bonus for a set number of positions regardless of the number of positions the City has authorized. The Compensation Board provided funding for a bonus for 102 of the 171 active sworn deputies based on the number of positions allowed to be included in Compensation Board formulas. Sixty-nine Alexandria Sheriff’s Office sworn deputies are not included under the Compensation Board formulae and will need City funds in order to receive a $500 bonus and be treated equitably.
This bonus, as the State defined it, applies only to sworn employees and not civilian employees of the Sheriff’s Office. Sworn employees work in the Detention Center, Courthouse, Sheriff’s Administrative Office, as well as related functions. Although the City has a pay freeze in effect for FY 2021, this one-time exception for sworn Sheriff’s Office employees is recommended due to the State’s budget actions which defined the applicability of these additional State funds.
FISCAL IMPACT: The total cost of the bonuses for 171 sheriff’s deputies is $92,000 of which $55,000 is expected to be reimbursed by the State Compensation Board and $37,000 can be covered by using the Sheriff’s Office vacancy savings.
STAFF:
Laura B. Triggs, Deputy City Manager
Morgan Routt, Director, Office of Management and Budget