Commissioners impose temporary hiring freeze and require board approval for pay adjustments as HR policies get reviewed

Facing rising personnel costs and questions about promotional practices across county departments, the Pennington County Board of Commissioners voted on Aug. 19 to place a temporary hiring freeze and to require board approval for pay adjustments that produce wage increases while the county reviews HR policies.

The board approved two separate, limited measures. The first requires that "all processes for pay adjustments resulting in wage increases be made temporary and modified until a comprehensive review of county policies on pay adjustments and job classifications is completed," with a staff report due at the Sept. 16 board meeting. The second motion immediately freezes new job postings and requires that any new positions be approved by the board until the policy review is complete. Commissioners said the measures are intended to give the county time to produce a single, consistent set of HR rules covering probationary periods, promotional steps, and classification changes.

Commissioners said the county has experienced rapid growth in its personnel budget in recent years and a high rate of internal promotions and step increases that complicate budget forecasting. County HR Director Carol (first name on file) told the board the county implemented a new compensation structure intended to address pay compression; commissioners said the change, combined with varied promotional practices in different departments, had made personnel costs harder to predict.

Several department heads testified during the meeting. Treasurer Annette Brandt told commissioners she uses a stepwise training process to advance staff as they master job tasks; she warned halting promotion steps immediately could disrupt training pipelines and staffing at public counters. Sheriff Brian Mueller and State’s Attorney Laura Retzel both requested the ability to bring time‑sensitive promotions to the board for approval; commissioners accepted language allowing exceptions to be presented to the board for case‑by‑case approval.

Commissioners said the measures are temporary and intended to prevent new expenditures while HR and finance finalize consolidated, county‑wide policy on promotions, probationary periods, job classifications and step increases. The county will prepare and present a policy review by Sept. 16, 2025; division heads and the auditor’s office will work with HR staff to map current job descriptions and the number of FTEs funded by position for the 2026 budget.

Why it matters: Personnel is the single largest expenditure in the county budget. The board’s action is intended to stabilize personnel spending and ensure a consistent, transparent process across departments before finalizing the county’s 2026 budget.

Ending: Commissioners said the freeze and approval requirement are temporary. They directed HR to draft a consolidated policy and return to the board with recommended changes and an implementation plan at the Sept. 16 meeting.