Northumberland supervisors meet again but make no progress on pending matters

by Jackie Nunnery

HEATHSVILLE—The Northumberland board of supervisors on Thursday, May 26, held a budget work session and a public hearing, but no action came from either, even as the June 30 deadline for the budget looms closer and the school board awaits a vote on a supplemental appropriation requested in April to begin construction on a new building.

Work session

During the budget work session for the county’s 2022-23 fiscal guide, the board heard from Sheriff Johnny Beauchamp regarding additional funding requests for the proposed budget in order to put staff on a pay scale with steps for years of service.

Sheriff Beauchamp said the county has fallen “way behind” when it comes to pay compared to other counties. He requested an additional $100,337.30 to provide a 5% raise or a pay scale adjustment, whichever was greater, as the office moves toward a pay scale with steps based on years of service. The starting salary for a deputy would increase from $39,348 to $44,000, an 11.8% increase. This compares to Richmond County’s starting salary of $43,000 and Westmoreland County’s starting salary of $45,000, according to Sheriff Beauchamp.

He also asked for $35,000 to transition the sheriff’s office from offering comp time to paying overtime….