Council approves most wage committee reclassifications, OKs 2% across‑the‑board increase

The county council voted to approve the bulk of the wage committee's recommendations on classification changes, new budgeted positions and a 2% general wage increase for county employees, while tabling a requested pay increase for the elected recorder until a formal wage study is complete.

The wage committee presented classification updates and pay adjustments recommended by outside HR consultants Wagner, Erwin & Shealy (WIS). Council members approved reclassification and pay changes for the sheriff’s financial administrator and four financial deputy positions in the auditor’s office; the sheriff’s action was described in the meeting as moving that position to a higher classification and roughly a $5,000 annual increase. The committee also recommended and the council approved reclassifications of multiple sheriff kitchen/jailer positions per the WIS study and approved pay adjustments for a reports coordinator and other job‑class changes recommended by the consultant.

The council approved a $3,000 increase for the coroner position based on a comparative study of similar counties; that raise would bring the coroner’s salary to “just over $26,000,” according to the…