Durham County Commissioners approved a $29,015 raise for its lowest-paid workers while grappling with $60 million in requests against $28 million in available revenue.
Commissioners unanimously approved a $29,015 raise for 33 lowest-paid county employees, increasing the living wage from $16.90 to $18.40 per hour, but warned that extending similar raises could trigger compression issues among longer-tenured staff.
The board rejected staff recommendations to cut the Low-Income Homeowner Relief Fund from $750,000 to $325,000, protecting a program that helped 328 homeowners stay in their homes despite spending only $302,000 last year.
Commissioners unanimously approved consolidating the Board of Elections into a renovated Kroger building at Shops at Hope Valley, with construction starting July 2023 and occupancy targeted for December 2023 ahead of the 2024 presidential election.