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 $152,700 – an 8 percent raise that was more in line with Chavis’ raise this week.
Under Guilford County Manager Mike Halford, county employees as a whole have been doing very well in 2022, with every county employee getting raises and a host of new benefits and perks.
So sad…poor Tax Director…
I know it doesn’t apply to everyone, but govt salaries and perks are obscene. I was self-employed from 1976, until I ceased working about 6 years ago. I had years when I lost money, or made very little; also some good years. I busted it 5-7 days a week, 8-10-14 hours. Never any cushy work at high wages like many govt employees now.
Our taxes don’t support this. I think I have read that just this year to date, some 5 Trillion dollars have been added to the national debt. There is no way our govt can pay this back, or even meet their yearly entitlements. It’s just kick the can down the road until they reach the end of the road. Can you say Argentina? Weimar?
There will be no poor, middle class, upper middle class, etc. Just the haves, and everyone else queueing for their Manna from Heaven. It is coming in far less than a lifetime. Prepare for it.
Those high salaries and huge pay increases only go to those at the top of the heap. The blue collar government employees are lucky if they get 2-3% pay raises per year, and that’s usually based on merit only…no cost of living increase. I should know, I’ve been a local government employee for nearly 30 years and during my time I’ve watched the gap between the classes widen more and more each year.
I made an errerr (first time ever). In paragraph 2, it should read 3$+ Trillion dollars in NEW spending during the Biden administration – all added to the national debt.
Damn, I need to give up my small business and go work in the Parasitic Sector.
Perfect job security, annual raises (generous ones it seems), Cadillac health care, gold plated retirement (after just 30 years), and you get to tell the poor plebs what they must do!
It’s a control freak’s dream.
And you can’t get fired.
It’s what every bullying shirker always dreamed of. The folks who couldn’t cut it in the real world (the Productive Sector) have found their home.
Can’t say it any better.
These extraordinary raises are all on the taxpayers backs. The taxpayers like teachers, police officers, fire-rescue-EMT, small business owners, medical professionals, nurses, waiters and waitresses, nursing home staff, certified nurse assistants, mechanics, plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, etc…. you know, the local people running things day-to-day. These folks are lucky if they get a 2% annual raise, while the inflation rate is 8%-12% and more. Who hired the city manager? And who voted in the county commissioner majority leaders who voted for the raises? The elected majority (dems) must really like paying higher sales tax, property taxes, rents, etc AND forcing our local residents to foot the bill. Did you receive a 10+ Percent raise this year?
Michelle, for someone who’s as bound and determined to hitch a ride on the elected official gravy train as you have demonstrated over the past couple of election cycles, this sounds more like sour grapes for your unsuccessful efforts and pandering to the folks who will jump on the bandwagon of whatever it takes to get a vote. Your real job was a teacher. Someone who saw firsthand how undervalued and underpaid all folks who work in Government jobs experience. Politicians are despised by the majority of us working folks a hell of a lot more than a guy who’s worked his entire career serving the public and gets a nice bump to bring his salary in range with others similar roles in the state.
He’s living the dream, two salaries (remember he has a church), all the other county perks, a bottomless vacation bucket and never lifts a finger except to delegate. Possesses limited to no knowledge of how his staff actually do their jobs. Regularly disappears during critical times of tax calendar thereby offering zero support to his department. Now makes 3, 4 and even 5 times more than most of the staff that does the work. And this isn’t the exception, it’s fast becoming the norm in this new top heavy organizational chart for the county. Yep, I’d say living the dream.
Is there no end??? This is Unbelievable…
We ALL should work for the government
We will, soon enough. As economic slaves.