Mid-Year Raises Extended to Some Stafford County Department Directors
Not all directors got a raise.
by Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
A handful of Stafford County government department directors and both deputy County Administrators have received raises—one over $10,000—outside of the annual budget cycle.
The raises were not extended to all department directors.
According to information received by the Advance through a request under the Freedom of Information Act, the county’s chief director of development services, chief director of information services, chief director of infrastructure, chief director of financial services, and chief of fire and rescue received raises, along with deputy County Administrators Donna Krauss and Michael Morris.
The amount of the raises ranges from $1,227 for the chief director of infrastructure to $13,936 for the chief director of development services.
The chief directors of financial services and information services both received raises of $9,256, and the fire and rescue chief received a $4,713 raise.
Both deputy county administrators received $6,000 raises.
The directors of human resources, information technology, utilities, R-board, parks and recreation, social services, and tourism did not get raises. Neither did the other constitutional officers—the sheriff, treasurer, and commissioner of the revenue.
The raises went into effect in the middle of the current fiscal year, sometime between December 1, 2023, and May 10, 2024.
Generally, salary raises are part of the new county budget that goes into effect each fiscal year. The current fiscal year—fiscal year 2024—began on July 1, 2023, and will end on June 30.
Andrew Spence, chief director of information services, said in an email to the Advance that the raises are part of a “vision for new infrastructure within Stafford County Government” developed by former County Administrator Randall Vosburg, who resigned from his position this spring after less than two years. His last day in Stafford was April 5.
Spence said Vosburg’s vision identified “the need to assist the administrators in managing the organization alongside providing additional succession opportunities.”
“Needless to say, this was an innovative solution to improve effectiveness and service delivery to ensure our organization is well-equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead,” he wrote.
Spence said the “scope of responsibilities” for the department directors and administrators who received the raises “significantly expanded” as part of the “new infrastructure.”
“At the same time, directors whose roles did not change would not see their compensation changed,” he wrote. “The roles of the deputies and chiefs have evolved to meet the heightened demands, and the raises reflect the increased complexity and provide more consistency of compensation across the positions.”
Spence added that it is “also important to point out that retaining top talent is crucial for the continued success and stability of our organization.”
“Investing in our deputies and chief directors aligns with our broader strategic goals of fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement,” he wrote. “These raises were a part of this vision developed by Mr. Vosburg and implemented to support our staff, whose leadership is not only vital but also instrumental to our organization's ongoing success and growth.”
The budget for fiscal year 2025, which goes into effect July 1, includes a 3% salary increase for all county government employees and the potential for a 2% merit pay increase.
This story has been updated.
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What about extending raises to the folks that actually do the work like first responders and teachers?