Not like the final three years, Washington County’s highest-paid worker wasn’t the highest official overseeing day-to-day operations.
Whereas County Administrator Tanya Ange — chargeable for managing most county departments and employees — earned a considerable $330,745 final 12 months, three different staff outpaced her in whole compensation. Amongst them had been two public security employees who earned considerably more cash final 12 months by working a whole lot of time beyond regulation hours.
That’s in response to knowledge from Washington County on the earnings of each county authorities worker from the final calendar 12 months.
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The very best-paid worker final 12 months was Olivia Millsap, a jail deputy who retired in September final 12 months however earned greater than $296,500 in time beyond regulation pay, almost triple her base of roughly $104,000, which helped bump her gross earnings to greater than $454,700.
Philip Bransford, spokesperson for Washington County, mentioned the tally for Millsap’s excessive time beyond regulation pay is correct and is tied, partially, to returning to responsibility after formally retiring final summer season. The county has not but launched an actual tally of her time beyond regulation hours. However primarily based on tough calculations — assuming double pay at $100 an hour for time beyond regulation shifts — she possible would have wanted to work an eye-popping variety of hours, probably cramming two years’ value of labor into one.
In the meantime, the county’s lawyer, Brad Anderson, was the second prime earner. Regardless of being on the job for seven months final 12 months, he raked in a gross earnings of roughly $413,000 thanks to almost $257,000 in different earnings on prime of his base pay of roughly $156,400. A big chunk of that different earnings — about $250,000 — was from cashing in issues like unused trip time, which county officers say amassed over his 18-year profession with the county.
The third highest earner was Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Andresen, who made almost $332,400 due to greater than $201,400 in time beyond regulation pay on prime of premium, trip and vacation payouts.
In all, Washington County spent over $228 million on its 2,382 staff throughout the 2024 calendar 12 months, up almost 5% from the earlier 12 months.
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Among the many county’s top-paid authorities employees are division officers, deputy district attorneys and county attorneys, but additionally many public security staff who doubled their earnings by way of working time beyond regulation.
Of the highest 60 earners — who make up about 2.5% of all employees — 27 had been within the Sheriff’s Workplace. Every made greater than $200,000, rivaling the compensations of deputy district attorneys and prime elected officers.
In whole, seven Sheriff’s Workplace staff made extra in time beyond regulation pay than their base salaries. Theresa Fichter, a detective, was the fifth highest paid county worker with almost $309,000 in gross earnings, after she supplemented her roughly $116,000 base pay with greater than $151,400 in time beyond regulation earnings. Matt Cunningham, a jail corporal, was the seventh highest earner at greater than $288,000 after boosting his $105,000 base earnings with greater than $163,000 in time beyond regulation pay.
Throughout the complete Sheriff’s Workplace, 477 of the 647 staff — or 74% — obtained some quantity of time beyond regulation pay. The division spent over $9.1 million on employees who had been pressured to or voluntarily labored further hours — representing 84% of Washington County’s whole time beyond regulation invoice. That time beyond regulation spending was almost double what the county’s Sheriff’s Workplace noticed from the earlier 12 months, at almost $4.8 million.
General, the county spent about $10.8 million on time beyond regulation final 12 months. That’s almost 73% larger than what the county spent on time beyond regulation in 2023.
Philip Bransford, spokesperson for Washington County, mentioned the elevated time beyond regulation spending on public security staff is just not distinctive. He mentioned county staffing is all the time in flux, and shortages can result in elevated workloads, longer shifts, and in the end, extra time beyond regulation bills because the county tries to take care of important providers with restricted personnel.
“It’s a relentless push and pull between filling schedules and hiring certified folks. It’s particularly difficult in sure areas, like first responders,” he mentioned. “Even when you’ve got a profitable recruiting course of, they nonetheless need to undergo a few 12 months of coaching earlier than they’ll begin impacting the time beyond regulation scenario.”
In the meantime, the county’s 1,920 non-union staff obtained a 4.1% cost-of-living adjustment efficient July 1, Bransford mentioned. That’s a step up from the three.5% increase granted the fiscal 12 months earlier than. For union-represented employees, cost-of-living changes diverse primarily based on their particular labor contracts, he mentioned.
In response to the settlement between the county and the union that represents Sheriff’s Workplace staff, their newest price of dwelling adjustment was additionally 4.1%.
Bransford famous that the reported salaries don’t replicate the 6% retirement contribution most staff pay towards retirement, on prime of overlaying some well being and deferred compensation prices. He additionally famous that Washington County absolutely covers pension contributions for sheriff’s deputies underneath the Public Staff Retirement System, as outlined of their union contract.
