WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES: Commissioners set $20 an hour minimum wage for county staff

Jessie Stensland reports that the Island County Commissioners, after noting that fast-food restaurants on Whidbey Island are paying more than what some county employees earn, have decided to establish $20 per hour as base pay. The Commissioners also instructed the County Human Resources Director to approach the unions about the proposal.

The change begins right away. A total of 35 people in the county will see their wages increase. The increase will cost the county $75,000 a year.

They said it

Commissioner Jill Johnson: “We have high expectations of our employees and, at some point, you simply can’t look them in the eye when you know that they are making less money per hour as a paralegal than they would making your bean burrito at Taco Bell. Nothing against Taco Bell, but the county doesn’t really offer entry-level positions and we need to acknowledge that reality in the wages we pay.”

Johnson emphasized during the meeting that it was important for employees to know that the increase was the board’s idea and didn’t come from the unions.

Commissioner Janet St. Clair said during a meeting last month that employees such as building inspectors have crucial jobs but their wages may not reflect that.

“We certainly want to make sure we are compensating them for the level of responsibility,” she said.

Commissioner Melanie Bacon said every job in the county is a career for that person and they deserve to earn a living wage, though she acknowledged that one person may not be able to support a family on $20 an hour.