A theme entering previous county budgetary deliberations has been how to best strike a balance between tending to Sampson’s physical infrastructure and its human infrastructure. The “physical” is the buildings, maintenance, equipment, supplies, computers, vehicles — all the tools to do the job. The “human” is the 540-plus full-time people actually doing those jobs.

With the county’s proposed 2019-20 budget, it has taken a good faith stride in tending to the latter.

Under the budget proposal unveiled by county manager Ed Causey last week, all county employees will receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 2 percent. Using July 2015 as the beginning point, salaries would also be increased for employees with one year of service in their current grade as of July 31, 2019, by $450; two years, by $550; three years, by $650; and four years, by $750.

Causey pointed to similar bumps across the state and locally. Sampson’s employees need to have similar support, he said.

We fully agree.

In the last two years, state employees working with the school system received raises of 2.2 percent and 2 percent, respectively; teachers received raises of 3.3 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. Last year, Sampson Community College increased the state proposed COLA of 2 percent to 3 percent for their employees, as well as approving $100,000 for merit raises.

No COLA was approved for county employees in the current 2018-19 budget, just 0.75 percent the year before that. The county has not funded any merit raises in the past decade.

Granted, the county did invest $3.7 million over several years to give county employees raises, but that was merely to get them to the minimum point of their pay grade. When the pay plan was completed, it was recommended that a plan be established for employees to progress through that pay grade, the goal being to get them to the midpoint within 10 years.

That has not happened, Causey conceding the county has “not made any progress with this recommendation, but recognizes its importance.”

Back in 2015, the classification and compensation system in Sampson was found to be in serious distress and in need of significant attention to ensure employees were treated fairly and equitably, and morale was maintained. County leaders breathed life back into that system.

However, it takes regular maintenance.

Following the four years it took to implement the pay plan, Human Resources director Nancy Dillman just a few months ago implored the need for that compensation system to keep current and reflect the market rate.

Merit and cost of living adjustments are a way to do just that. If the system isn’t regularly visited, Sampson is in danger of slipping down the pecking order in job recruitment and employee retention.

The ultimate goal of the pay plan was to progress employees to the midpoint “in a reasonable amount of time.” But there needs to be a mechanism that allows for that possibility.

As we’ve said in this space, there must be an instrument whereby the most deserving and best performing employees are able to advance along their pay grade.

Dillman has pointed to issues with salary disparity, as well as the possibility of an “exodus of highly trained employees” if compression is not addressed. That compression happens all too easily when longtime employees are stagnant at the low end of their pay grade and a new employee comes on.

Barring merit increases or longevity bumps, following a probationary period, those two employees are getting the same pay check.

Sampson has prided itself on being “an importer of good people,” and merit increases are a way to build the foundation for a thriving workforce.

Otherwise, this county may soon get into the export business.