Gwinnett Employees Tasked With Studying Pay, Benefits

Eleven Gwinnett County employees have been tapped to study the impact of declining revenues on salaries and benefits and make recommendations to the county as part of a new task force.

Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens appointed the task force of employee representatives to review compensation and benefits costs, the county announced. Last year a similar group helped Gwinnett County develop this year’s health insurance plans for employees.

The task force is composed of employees who represent most major county departments, including those of elected officials like the sheriff, district attorney and the courts. Its recommendations will be presented to the county administrator later this year, according to the announcement. 

The group will study the impact of declining revenues on the county’s financial position as it relates to retirement and insurance plans and policies for holiday, annual and sick leave. Personnel costs represent the majority of many departmental budgets. 

“As governments across the country seek ways to operate more efficiently, the subject of employee compensation and benefits has been front-page news recently,” said Stephens in the announcement. “This task force will look at similar issues in our organization and make recommendations that all employees will then help prioritize later this year.”

“I fully support the creation of the task force and those employees who are serving on it, and I look forward to hearing the recommendations,” said District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau, who set a goal earlier this year to reduce personnel costs by 5 percent.