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On the second day of his “Thank you Virginia” tour, Governor Ralph Northam announced that he will be proposing pay raises for law enforcement in his outgoing budget. The proposal is largely symbolic as Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin will take over budget negotiations with the General Assembly on Jan. 15 when he is sworn into office Youngkin pushed for law enforcement pay raises throughout his campaign, however, meaning it is likely that some sort of raise will happen.
Northam is proposing pay increases for Virginia State Troopers, correctional officers, deputy sheriffs, and regional jail officers. “Law enforcement officers carry a heavy burden as they work to protect Virginians, and this raise is the right thing to do,” Northam said Tuesday. “It is also important that our officers are paid enough to create a positive work environment free from as much stress and burnout as possible.”
Under Northam’s proposal, newly-sworn state troopers will receive a 7.7 percent pay raise; the starting salary for new correction officers will increase by 25 percent; and the average entry-level salary for deputy sheriffs and regional jail officials will increase by approximately 20 percent. The Governor’s budget also includes funding to address pay compression and provide additional raises to a range of targeted officers and sworn personnel. Virginia gave one-time bonuses of $3,000 to $5,000 to public safety officials in 2021, in addition to a one-time bonus of $500 in 2020.
“This raise and increased funding is a huge step forward,” Northam said Tuesday.
On Monday, Northam announced that he included a 10% proposal for Virginia teachers. Both of these ideas were prominent within Youngkin’s campaign for governor. A source close to the gov.-elect provided Virginia Scope with a statement Monday afternoon. “Glenn’s entire Day One Game Plan is online if the Northam team wants to crib any other ideas to help Virginians or turn around Virginia’s economy.”