Northampton County approves pay increases for dispatchers and EMS workers, awards County employees bonuses

The Northampton County Board of Supervisors has approved targeted compensation increases for two key groups of county employees, following a deeper review of salary disparities identified during recent budget discussions.

During a follow-up to the county’s FY2026 budget approval two weeks ago, supervisors revisited a group of 65 employees previously flagged for additional pay or promotional consideration. As Board Chairman John Coker explained, the Board had initially withheld action on the group, citing a lack of detailed information about who the employees were and why they were being recommended for salary adjustments.

However, the number of employees requiring review significantly dropped after the Board raised the county’s minimum wage to $15 per hour during the June budget vote. That change automatically addressed pay for 30 of the 65 individuals.

“We’re now down to 35, and from that group, we’ve identified two smaller populations where adjustments are clearly warranted,” said Coker.

The first group includes six 911 dispatchers in the Sheriff’s Office, whose pay has lagged behind Accomack County. The dispatchers—described as essential front-line responders who handle emergency calls 24/7—have long been underpaid despite commendations from local towns for their performance.

“This group deserves more. We’ve been working with the Sheriff on this for nearly a year,” said Coker, who made a motion to approve a $22,000 adjustment for the six employees. The motion passed unanimously.

The second group includes 10 emergency medical services (EMS) personnel who, beginning in 2022, were required to obtain new certifications that significantly improved their skills. While new hires with that certification are paid at a higher rate, those who earned it post-hire never received a corresponding raise.

“These EMS workers were asked to upgrade their qualifications, and we never compensated them for it. That’s a mistake we need to fix,” said Coker.

The Board voted unanimously to move the 10 EMS employees up one grade level, aligning their pay with their current qualifications. The change will be retroactive to the June 22 pay period.

Both compensation adjustments were already included in the approved budget but had been temporarily held back pending Board approval. With last night’s votes, the funds will now be released, and eligible employees will see the increases reflected in upcoming paychecks.

Supervisors noted that additional salary adjustments may still be considered for the remaining employees in the original 65-person pool.

The Supervisors also approved a 1.5% bonus for County employees to match a bonus given to state employees in this past year’s Virginia budget.