Austell employees are receiving pay increases effective Sept. 18 when the City Council approved them.

Based upon their position and seniority, the city’s Finance Director Denise Soesbee told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that public safety officials will earn $2 to $4 more per hour.

City officials are “hoping to hire and retain good people” by making salaries of police officers and firefighters competitive with other jurisdictions, she added.

Also effective Sept. 18, all other city employees are receiving a five percent salary increase, Soesbee said.

Funding is from the city’s gas revenues and tax collections, she added.

About the Author

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez