From correspondent Virginia Bridges

County Manager Mike Ruffin wasn’t the only one to get a raise this year this year.
The Durham County commissioners approved raises for themselves and their employees earlier this year.

Beyond the 10 percent raise recently awarded to Ruffin, commissioners also approved a 4.25 percent raise for themselves in the budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

Commissioners have also approved increases for the five other county officials they evaluate: the sheriff, county attorney, register of deeds, clerk to the board and tax administrator.

Those increases range from 4.25 percent for Sheriff Worth Hill, which brought his salary up to $127,279 to a 31.7 percent raise for Clerk to the Board Michelle Parker-Evans, who now makes $80,313 annually. Parker-Evens recently received her clerk certification after two years of class work, which is one of the reasons the increase is so high, Ruffin said. 

Michelle Parker-Evans is Durham County’s new Clerk to the Board of , succeeding the retired Vonda Sessoms.

A Shaw University graduate, Parker-Evans is currently senior executive assistant to the Durham City Manager.

The board clerk's responsibilities include preparing agendas, maintaining official minutes and managing the clerk's office. Her salary as board clerk is $61,000 per year.

Parker-Evans is a Durham native who has also worked for the cities of Durham and Raleigh and the U.S. State Department.