A trio of items that address pay disparity among county workers found little quarrel from Shelby County Commissioners during the Monday, Feb. 14, meeting.
Living wage increase for county employees
Members agreed 7-0 on an ordinance that amends the Shelby County government living wage for the FY2026 budget. The item would raise the wage for county employees to the level set by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. It passed on the first reading.
The county set the rate at $15 in 2019 before the post-pandemic inflationary spike.
The online calculator set the wage at $20.77 per hour for a single individual with no dependents or children. The figure included geographically-specific costs for food, child care, health care, housing, transportation and other basic needs. State and local taxes are also factored into the total.
“It shows that Memphis is way under the living wage,” said Erika Sugarmon. “The living wage ordinance of $15, it’s not enough for most individuals to live on. In fact, most of our employees in the Shelby County government are the working poor.”
Amending the current living wage ordinance begins a two-stage process. The commission would come back at a later date with a resolution to match the county minimum wage to the calculator’s standard.
The ordinance would affect the county’s FY2026 budget.
Sugarmon also urged clerks leading various county departments to support the ordinance. Last year, several came before the commission requesting raises for their lowest paid employees. Commissioners attempted to address the issue with an equitable pay increase for Shelby County employees, but it failed. Instead, a one-size-fits-all six percent raise was given to employees.
“If you cannot support this, I cannot support giving the people who earn $100,000 or more six percent increases while the people at the bottom are starving, working two jobs,” said Sugarmon.
Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. later said 100 employees received raises in excess of the average while some were also given bonuses.
Department heads gain flexibility to give raises
Members addressed concerns in a resolution that amends the county’s 2024-25 compensation policy. It substitutes language that prohibits departments from reclassifying positions, along with intended funding.
The amendment reverts the county’s policy to 2022-23 language that provides more flexibility to department heads in their operations. The resolution will allow clerks to provide raises to their lowest paid employees. It had been in the works for months.
“This is an agreed resolution that’s been worked out with the administration, electeds that are listed, AFSCME, IEW representatives, and the civil service board, which passed it and recommended it for your approval,” said Shelby County Trustee Regina Newman.
It passed 9-0. Chairman Michael Whaley is the sponsor.
Pay parity for corrections officers
Commissioners also unanimously approved an ordinance in its second reading to establish pay parity between the Shelby County Division of Corrections officers and their counterparts with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is just to codify a resolution that was passed by the previous commission,” said sponsor Sugarmon.
A similar ordinance was passed by the previous commission, however it ended up the casualty of a pocket veto by the administration of Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
“Which means it didn’t happen,” explained Ford.
Moreover, the commissioner said $17 million earmarked for salaries on the county’s books hasn’t been spent.
“That means there’s money there to take care of the Shelby County Division of Corrections correctional officers,” said Ford.
The average pay for a corrections officer at the Shelby County Jail at 201 Poplar is around $41,000 annually. Meanwhile, the base salary for a Shelby County Sheriff’s Office deputy is just above $70,000 per year.
