[Archived] Question #79: For which State employees does the City provide a salary supplement?

Question:

For which State employees does the City provide a salary supplement? 

Response: 

The purpose of this memo is to detail how the City contributes funding to certain State positions within the City of Alexandria. 

Background

City contributions to State positions are primarily provided to reflect the higher cost of living in Northern Virginia compared to other areas in Virginia. In some instances, the State funds the positions, and the City provides a supplement to account for the difference between the State salary and the equivalent salary on the City pay scale for each position. In other instances, the City funds positions on the City pay scale, and then receives a reimbursement based upon the State salary for each specific position. Nuances for these supplements and reimbursements exist, such as which positions within departments receive City contributions and varying methods of calculating City supplements.

Table 1 lists the departments in which State positions receive City contributions. The departments are categorized by how the City contributes to staff salaries. The following sections of this memo further specify City contributions to State positions for each listed department.

Table 1: Departments with City Contribution to State Positions

State Funded Positions with City Supplements

This section specifies the positions in the following departments that the State funds, and the City supplements. The combined total cost of these supplements in the FY 2018 budget is approximately $3.45 million. 

Health Department

The City has an established Local Salary Supplement Agreement with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The City supplements the salaries and proportional fringe benefits of State, full-time classified Co-op and grant funded positions. The City contributes the difference between the State base salary and the equivalent salary classification on the current City pay scale. Excluded from supplements are wage employees, the District Health Director, and any staff whose State base salary exceeds the City’s general pay scale for their related City classification. The cost of these supplements and associated fringe benefits in the FY 2018 budget is $2.07 million. The Commonwealth issues these employees a paycheck for the full amount and the City makes a quarterly payment to a State account for the supplemented portion. The Health Department currently has authorization for 90 State supplemented employees. The Department also has 15.63 City FTEs, for a combined total of 105.63 FTEs.

Court Service Unit

The City supplements the salaries of State employees of the Court Service Unit (CSU) by contributing the difference between the State salary and the equivalent salary of the City pay scale. The cost of these supplements in the FY 2018 budget is approximately $560,000. CSU has 20 State employees each who receive two paychecks, one from the State and the other from the City. CSU also has 8 City employees for a total of 28 employees.

Magistrate’s Office

The City contributes a 50% City matching supplement of their current State salary. New magistrates are no longer eligible to receive the supplement. The cost of these supplements in the FY 2018 budget is approximately $73,000. The Magistrate’s Office has a total of eight employees with, three receiving the matching supplement. 

Public Defender and Adult Probation and Parole

The City supplements the salaries of State employees to make up the difference between State salary and the equivalent salary on the City’s pay scale. The cost of these supplements in the FY 2018 budget is approximately $354,000 for Adult Probation and Parole and $256,000 for the Public Defender. These two agencies combined have a total of 36 employees which are supplemented.

General District Court

The City supplements the salaries of State employees by paying an additional 15% based on State salaries. In the FY 2018, there are 13 employees receiving a supplement for a budget of approximately $88,000.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court

The City supplements the salaries of State employees by paying an additional 15% based on State salaries. In the FY 2018, there are 7 employees receiving a supplement for a budget of approximately $44,000.

City Funded Positions with State Reimbursements

This section details the positions in the following departments that the City initially funds on the City pay scale, and then the State Compensation Board reimburses with revenue to the City. Except for the Registrar, reimbursements are based on each position’s salary on the State pay scale. The City absorbs the additional costs needed to make the position’s salary equal to the City pay scale.

Registrar

The Code of Virginia requires the Virginia Department of Elections to reimburse local governments for the authorized salaries paid to general registrars and local electoral board members. The authorized salary is based on population plus a 15% Competition Pay Supplement for certain jurisdictions like Alexandria and other Northern Virginia localities.  Currently, the authorized salary for the Alexandria general registrar is $77,220; the authorized salary for the Secretary of the Alexandria Electoral Board is $7,386; and the authorized salary for each of the other two members of the Alexandria Electoral Board is $3,693. The actual reimbursement of these salaries is affected each year by the State’s Appropriations Act. For example, the most recent Virginia Appropriations Act specified a reimbursement rate of 69.22% for general registrar salaries and 80.25% for electoral boards. Additionally, no reimbursement is provided for the employer share of Social Security, employee benefits, administrative costs, additional City supplements paid to the General Registrar, or for any compensation paid to Assistant Registrars or election officers. The Electoral Board receives a State salary and no City supplement.

Sheriff

The City receives payment for 133 positions (sworn and civilian) out of the total (209) from the State Compensation Board. The rest of the positions are funded entirely by the City.

Commonwealth Attorney

The City receives a State Compensation Board payment for 21 positions out of the total of 28 from the State Compensation Board. The rest of the positions are funded entirely by the City or grants.

Clerk of the Court

The City receives a State Compensation Board payment for 19 positions out of the total of 22. The rest of the positions are funded entirely by the City.

Finance

The City receives a State Compensation Board payment for 39 positions out of the total of 104.5. The rest of the positions are funded entirely by the City.

For FY 2018, the City is budgeted and projects to receive the following Compensation Board revenue:

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