Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Rock County supervisors propose $1-per-hour alternative to COLA as budget talks continue
Summary
Supervisors presented the recommended 2026 budget and an alternative compensation approach that would add $1 to each cell of the county pay grid for 2026, intended as a one-time measure to reduce pay disparity and improve recruitment. The recommended budget also includes a 2.5% COLA and other key funding items.
Rock County supervisors and staff presented the recommended 2026 budget on Sept. 25 and discussed a proposed one-time alternative to the standard cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that would add $1 to every hourly cell on the county’s pay grid for 2026.
Supervisor Wilson, presenting with Supervisors Tillman and Schwartz, said the pay grid covers most county employees and that roughly 1,170 full-time-equivalent positions (about 87% of the county workforce) use the grid. The supervisors proposed distributing available wage dollars as a flat $1-per-hour increase to each pay-grid cell rather than a uniform percentage COLA.
“Instead of applying a standardized percentage, a dollar per position on the grid,” Supervisor Wilson said, explaining the rationale: the $1 approach narrows pay disparity because percentage COLAs give larger raises in dollars…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
