COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland County Council has approved pay raises for public safety employees.
The county says pay for these departments falls behind other counties, making it difficult to fill positions.
County Administrator Leonardo Brown’s says the raises will increase the deputies salaries from $40,001 to $45,000.
"It’s to make sure we take care of our deputies and give them a salary they can live on," said Sheriff Leon Lott.
Lott said his department is facing about 25 vacancies.
"When you look at the force we’ve got, about 700, it doesn’t seem like a lot, but I don't want any," said Lott.
Lott said about 300 deputies will get some type of raise, ranging from $80 to $5,000.
Brown said solicitor's office attorneys, public defenders, and court-appointed advocates are raising from $52,483 to $62,000.
Paramedics will also see a 4.75% raise.
"The county is funding these raises, as I mentioned earlier, through the vacancies that already exist in the departments," said Brown. "So we certainly expect that those departments will utilize some of those vacancy dollars to help increase those pay, to increase pay to work they need."
Brown said agencies will have enough money to continue hiring. However, council members still need to come up with a way to fund the salaries in the coming years.
"There are other funding sources that we receive, again, state and federal funding, sometimes private funding in terms of grant opportunity," said Brown.
According to Brown, the raises will go into effect in January.
This year, the council gave all county employees a 4 percent cost of living increase and raised its own salaries.