Halifax County commissioners Tuesday agreed to a 5 percent raise for the sheriff’s office, detention center, EMS, 911 center, and child protective services employees.

It will be effective April 1, County Manager Dia Denton said following the meeting held at Hollister Elementary School.

The motion by Jimmie Silver was a deviation from an earlier discussion that focused on raises for only the sheriff's office, detention center, EMS, and 911 center employees.

The cost of the proposal Denton recommended was $1,981,000. It represented a three-step increase, Denton said.

A subsequent motion on a modification of that proposal failed by a 3-2 margin with Chairman Vernon Bryant absent.

Commissioners Thomas Barrett and Gary Redding did not raise their hands during the vote on the 5 percent increase, which means their votes were counted in the affirmative.

“I’m not against it,” Barrett said afterward. “I just would have preferred to have had a dollar figure so that the taxpayers would know what they’re having to pay for this. I merely didn’t register a vote because I wasn’t necessarily for it, but I wasn’t necessarily against them getting a raise.”

Redding said he wanted to wait for an upcoming meeting to propose the pay increase with the sheriff present. “He wasn’t able to be here tonight, but hopefully with him there he can strengthen the argument — not only for retention, but also for recruitment and how the pay increases can help with it.”

While child protective services was not in the original discussion when Denton presented the pay increase for law enforcement, detention officers, 911 center, and EMS, she later talked about the vacancies in the Child Protective Services Division of the Halifax County Department of Social Services.

Denton did not immediately have a cost estimate for filling nine vacancies in CPS. “We’re losing them primarily to Nash County. We’re competitive with Northampton County and Warren County, according to the director.”

Sometimes people who take DSS jobs in Nash County relocate, Denton said.

Silver asked about adding CPS to the salary increase question. “I know we don’t have a dollar amount now, but I know we have a strong budget.”

Silver said since the original motion for a 15 percent raise that did not include CPS failed, he was ready to move forward with a new motion. “I want them to know that at least we’re looking at it. If anybody needs protecting in this county, it’s our children more so than our adults.”

Redding, conversely, had earlier made the motion to move forward with a 15 percent increase for deputies, an 8 percent increase for jailers, and retention incentives including bilingual certification, intermediate, and advanced law enforcement certifications. That motion failed on a 3-2 vote.

Vice Chair Chenoa Richardson Davis said she had concerns about Redding’s motion. “I have concerns about what the new numbers would look like and if we can afford it and sustain it without raising taxes on anyone.”

Barrett also had concerns about the impact on taxes. “I don’t mind paying deputies more money — I think we need to. I think the sheriff needs to sit down and crunch his numbers and figure out what helps him and what he can do with the money.”

He said he wanted to know what the sheriff can do with the money he has “without having to go to these county citizens who are already paying out of their pockets all they can pay.”