DSS supervisor on-call stipend

The DSS director asked the Board to restore the $10,820 stipend, explaining supervisors get no pay for legally required after-hours duties.

A DSS Board member warned about risks to children if on-call staff aren't properly trained, and cited hiring struggles tied to pay.

The DSS Board chair said any delay puts children at risk and asked the Board to act immediately, noting funds are already available.

A Moyock resident with a DSS background urged the Board to approve the funding.

The DSS director said supervisors must be on call 24/7 by law, get no extra compensation, and asked the board to support the $10,820 stipend, noting Dare County pays overtime and Bertie pays a $1,200 stipend.

A former commissioner and current Social Services board appointee urged the board not to delay, arguing child protection failures carry far graver risks than water outages and citing lawsuits in other counties from poorly trained staff.

The Social Services board chair said every delay makes it harder to fill a critical fourth vacancy — the last hire took 14 months — and asked the board to act now using funds already budgeted rather than waiting for July.

A retired DSS employee of 23 years said he fully supported the request and urged the board to act quickly.