If your company gave you an 11 percent raise this year, you might be thrilled, but when it comes to pay raises for the Guilford County department directors who work directly for the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, an 11 percent raise is small potatoes.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, the Board of Commissioners came out of a closed session and voted to give Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis a salary increase of 11 percent.

Chavis, who for years has kept Guilford County in the top ten of counties in the state when it comes to property tax collection rates, had been making $158,055 a year, however, the commissioners upped that salary to $175,000.

While most Guilford County Department heads answer to and work for the county manager, Chavis is one of a handful of employees who work directly for the Board of Commissioners.

Guilford County Commissioner James Upchurch said after the meeting that in closed session the board determined that Chavis wasn’t being paid equitably when compared to tax directors in similar situations counties such as Durham County and Wake County.

In November, Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers and Elections Director Charlie Collicutt both got eye-opening raises from the commissioners.

Roger’s salary, which had been $176,303 a year, was increased to $204,837 – a 16 percent hike.

Collicutt, who had been making $116,082 a year saw his salary shoot up to $142,413 annually – a 22 percent increase.

At that time, Guilford County Register of Deeds Jeff Thigpen saw his annual salary increase from $140,191 to $152,700 – an 8 percent raise that was more in line with Chavis’ raise this week.

Under Guilford County Manager Mike Halford, county employees as a whole have been doing very well in 2022, with every county employee getting raises and a host of new benefits and perks.