Bonus payments proposed for Beaufort, Port Royal employees for work during COVID
Employees of Beaufort and Port Royal are slated to get bonuses for their work during the COVID-19 crisis — possibly as much as $1,500 — under plans that still need to be finalized.
The town and city would tap federal pandemic aid for the payments. Between them, the municipal neighbors are getting $12.5 million in COVID relief money that can be used in a variety of ways, including emergency payments to personnel.
Elected officials and staff members in both communities are still discussing spending priorities for the influx of funds, and the “premium pay” for employees is just one possible use of the money that’s on the table, with larger amounts slated for big infrastructure projects.
“I’m confident in saying I think we will pass that,” Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray said of bonuses for employees.
In its preliminary spending plan for the $6.7 million in federal America Rescue Plan funds (ARPA) it is receiving to counter the economic costs of COVID-19, Beaufort has earmarked $270,000 for employee bonuses. The $270,000 translates to about $1,500 per employee. But Beaufort officials are emphasizing that a final amount, and who will receive bonuses, still hasn’t been finalized.
The town of Port Royal, which is receiving $5.8 million in ARPA funds, is considering a $1,500 bonus for employees, Town Manager Van Willis said.
Beaufort School District teachers got a $1,000 one-time bonus in December for teaching students in-person and online at the same time during quarantines in the fall semester. That payment was sent out after Amanda Patel, a teacher at Whale Branch Middle School, filed a lawsuit on Dec. 8 all claiming the school district shortchanged teachers for work during the COVID pandemic with a one-time bonus instead of an hourly rate of $27.87 for the additional work.
Federal money to make up for pandemic losses
The municipal payments, if approved, Beaufort City Manager Bill Prokop says, would be saying “thank you” to employees who “put themselves out there” during the pandemic. Personnel in police, fire, public works, permitting and other departments, he noted, could not isolate by working from home during the public health emergency.
Murray said he supported bonuses for all employees for their service the past two years.
For the sake of transparency, Beaufort has placed its ARPA money into a separate fund so its spending can be easily tracked by City Council members and the public, Finance Director Kathy Todd said.
City Council members, guided by 600 pages of spending rules for ARPA, have agreed on categories to spend the money and amounts: $4 million for stormwater projects; $1 million for pandemic impact grants that could include affordable housing assistance; a $185,000 grant to the University of South Carolina Beaufort for its Arts Center; and the bonus pay.
“Now that we have a little extra money, we can do some other things that are important to the community and show some real results,” Prokop said.
Todd says the city will be able to leverage additional grants from the $4 million in ARPA funds the city has slated for stormwater work, one of the city’s most pressing needs.
But Todd added that the proposed spending priorities are just “placeholders” at this time. The City Council, she said, still must flesh out the details and pass budget amendments each time it spends money on a project.
“We’re saying, ‘OK council, this is what we recommend,’ Prokop said, ‘now it’s up to you to make the final decision.’”
For example, details have not been worked out for the $1 million that will be set aside for pandemic impact grants for affordable housing. Coming up with the infrastructure for administering those grants still is necessary, Todd noted.
“I’m supportive of the home repair program,” Murray said, “but we’re really going to have to figure out the mechanics of that program so it doesn’t put too much of a burden on city staff.”
Public can comment
City council members are likely to dive into those details at a strategic planning meeting in March, Murray said, but a vote on the employee pay could come sooner.
Residents will get the chance to comment on the spending as the funds are released and the priorities are fine-tuned, Murray added.
The ARPA money does not have to be spent until 2026, although it must be obligated by 2024. Until then, council members will have the prerogative of moving money if other priorities should arise.
Port Royal officials continue to refine the list of spending priorities for the town’s $5.8 million in ARPA funds, Willis said. A portion will go toward revenue that was lost due to COVID-19, which is one area the ARPA legislation says funds can be spent, Willis said .
“But the balance will be focused on eligible infrastructure, sewer, stormwater and road repair associated with those projects and possibly broadband,” Willis said.
Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, or ARPA, in early March. The ARPA included $350 billion in emergency funds for state, local, territorial and tribal governments to use on a wide variety of projects related to the pandemic
Besides lost public sector revenue and premium pay for workers, ARPA rules dictate that the federal funds be used in support of COVID 19 public health and economic response and water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.
Through an online survey, Beaufort residents were given a list of funding options and asked to rank their priorities, and 350 residents responded. Stormwater projects and police and fire department upgrades were ranked the highest. Residents could also provide their own priorities, and 73 listed bonuses/raises for first responders.
Murray has been contacted by some residents who think the city should send the funds back to Washington, D.C. — which some cities have done, he said. Beaufort has received half of its $6.7 allocation. The second half will arrive in September. Murray said he doesn’t necessarily agree with the federal funding allocation, but, “Now that we have it, I think we have to make the best use of it.”
