NATCHEZ — Adams County Supervisors discussed Thursday the possibility of giving employees a 5-percent raise, which is estimated to cost approximately $400,000 annually.

In a specially called budget workshop, County Administrator Joe Murray asked supervisors if they wanted to consider employee raises.

Murray said many department heads have complained over the past several years that Adams County’s pay schedule lags behind other counties in the state.

Murray said he had contacted the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development about potentially performing a salary study. Murray said it would cost $15,000 and take four to six months.

Board President Mike Lazarus said the county pays employees what it can afford and gives raises when it can afford it. Lazarus said he did not see a point in contracting with the Stennis Institute for a study.

“If you do that, and it points out that we do not pay as well as some, are you going to raise taxes to get them up to where they want to be?” Lazarus said. “I don’t think supervisors have the stomach for raising taxes.”

Lazarus said the county pays its employees the best it can with the money it has.

District 5 Supervisor Calvin Butler suggested the possibility of raising the pay of employees making below $10 per hour up to $10 and giving everyone else a 5-percent raise.

District 3 Supervisor Angela Hutchins said a problem with that plan is for the person making just below $10.

“What if a person is making $9.55?” she said. “You are only giving that person a 45-cent raise?”

Hutchins said that would hurt the employee compared to others.

Murray said another issue with raising someone up to $10 could in some cases put a person who had previously been making a lower amount closer to someone who has been employed with the county for a number of years. Murray said that could create issues.

Murray then asked if the county could go into executive session to discuss performance for a handful of employees.

Board Attorney Scott Slover said during the executive session the board discussed 15 to 20 employees.

Lazarus said they discussed adjusting the salary of department heads and some other employees based on performance.

Lazarus said the county is considering an across-the-board, 5-percent raise, which would include the Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies, but not elected officials.

The raises are just in the discussion phase and are not set in stone, Lazarus said.

“We have had people do public records requests recently and I think they were shocked at how little our employees do make,” Lazarus said. “I would love to see employees get raises, but we are not going to raise taxes.”

Lazarus said while it would only take three votes to pass a tax increase, he said he felt certain more supervisors than not would vote against raising taxes.

“There is no way we could justify raising taxes,” Lazarus said. “I have been here for 10 years now, and we don’t raise taxes.”