Top Mecklenburg County official gets salary hike and bonus. Here are the details.
Mecklenburg County’s top official, who has helped lead the local COVID-19 pandemic response and clearing of a homeless encampment in uptown Charlotte, will get a 7% pay hike, plus a performance bonus.
County Manager Dena Diorio’s new base salary for fiscal year 2022 is $379,479, compared to $354,653 in the last fiscal year.
County commissioners approved the raise — effective July 1 — in an 8-1 vote during their board meeting Wednesday night. Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell cast the sole no vote.
Commissioners separately approved a $15,000 bonus for Diorio, with Commissioners Elaine Powell and Rodriguez-McDowell voting against the cash reward.
Diorio’s total compensation for this fiscal year is now $461,275, Commissioner Leigh Altman said. Last year, it was $434,620. That’s a 6% increase.
“I am thrilled to support the county manager in her work,” Altman told her colleagues Wednesday. “I am thrilled to recognize her merit and ensure she has pay equity for similarly situated chief executives of organizations of this size.”
Last year, commissioners had approved a 3% base salary raise for Diorio, as well as a $17,216 bonus.
Handling high-profile issues
Since the start of the pandemic, Diorio has often appeared alongside Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris in announcing sweeping coronavirus restrictions, including the initial stay-at-home order and recently reinstated countywide mask mandate.
Diorio leads or sits on advisory groups that dictate health and business restrictions.
Diorio also staunchly defended the health department’s handling of the uptown homelessness encampment, which Harris had ordered hundreds of people to vacate in February due a rat infestation. Diorio publicly sparred with local law enforcement agencies and Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones, claiming they failed to help with the removal process.
Other compensation details
Diorio on Wednesday said it was an an honor to serve the county.
The county manager’s deferred compensation is $24,967 and her 401(k) match is $18,974, according to a county document shared with the Observer. Diorio’s expense allowance is $22,856.
“We owe you debt of gratitude,” Commissioners’ chairman George Dunlap told Diorio. “We want you to know that we value your work.”
During a closed session discussion, commissioners agreed that Diorio her performed all key initiatives at an “exemplary level” in the past year, Altman said.
All county employees were given at least a 3% raise this year, totaling $25 million, according to Mecklenburg’s budget book. The county also spent $779,000 for bringing all part-time employees a $15 per hour minimum wage.