GOP Supervisors Oppose Pay Raise for Sheriff

The three Republican members of Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday against raising the salary of Sheriff Stan Barry Tuesday, the Washington Post reports.

The $8,000 raise passed with votes from the Board’s seven Democrats, bringing Barry’s salary to $160,193, according to the Post.

Springfield Supervisor Patrick S. Herrity, Sully District Supervisor Michael R. Frey, and Braddock District Supervisor John C. Cook voted against increasing Barry’s salary as part of a continuing dispute over the sheriff’s retirement benefits. 

During his re-election campaign last year, Barry's Republican opponents in the county's Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP). Under DROP, county employees who are eligible for retirement can begin collecting retirement benefits in an account while continuing to work for the county for three years, at which point they must retire. 

Barry had previously enrolled in DROP, which both Republicans and Democratic Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross had said was never intended for elected officials. Barry could not run for re-election, Republicans said, because he had to retire in 2012, three years after he enterered DROP. Barry was re-elected in November.

On Tuesday, Frey told the Post that the Republicans voted against raising Barry's salary because Barry had promised not to take a salary if re-elected. 

In , Barry said he would return to the sheriff's position without a salary only if he was told he could not otherwise return to office after participating in DROP. County Attorney David Bobzien had previously ruled Barry could legally run for re-election after participating in DROP.