Forsyth commissioners weighing raise plan.

Forsyth county commissioners, pictured here, will consider a raise plan for the body July 6

Forsyth county commissioners, pictured here, will consider a raise plan for the body July 6

Forsyth County commissioners will consider a pay raise at their next meeting, after voting 2-1 to move the idea forward during a recent work session. That meeting’s set for 5 p.m. July 6 at the Forsyth County Administration Building, 110 E. Main St., Cumming.

Commissioner chair Todd Levent proposed the hike which would go into effect in January of 2019. It would raise the current $34,900 base salary for commission members and $36,747 for the chair to $42,000 across the board. It would also establish a $250 per-meeting stipend for commission members, with a maximum of eight payable monthly, while the chair could be compensated for a maximum of 12. The meetings could be either local or regional official ones.

It would also tie future increases either to any cost-of-living adjustment approved by the state or the value of any merit increase as approved for county employees.

Levent said the current salary structure and commensurate workload for commissioners limits the pool of people who can afford to run for the job while maintaining other work. Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills, who voted against the measure, said the job has historically been considered part-time.