County finance staff told the Weber County Commission on July 21 that they will include a proposed $2,000,000 midyear adjustment for sheriff sworn-staff wages and benefits in the public‑hearing materials for the next commission meeting and recommended adopting one of the options in the Baker Tilly compensation study.

The budget presenter said Baker Tilly provided three options for sworn staff: a roughly $1.5 million 2% across‑the‑board option; an option near $1.9 million that used a longer progression and left about 60 employees without an increase; and a larger plan. The staff presenter said they are recommending a plan near $2,000,000 — described as a hybrid that preserves a 2% baseline while phasing larger increases for 0–5 year deputies so those early-career employees do not compress with more-tenured deputies.

“Our plan and Baker Tilly’s implementation recommendation was for $2,000,000. I think we should hold the public hearing on that amount, and I'm comfortable approving that and finding a way to rectify the issues within our budget,” the budget presenter said.

Staff said the sheriff and his staff proposed a counter plan this week that would cost about $3,000,000. Commissioners said they want to hear the sheriff’s explanation at the public hearing but several expressed preference for using the Baker Tilly recommendations and data as the basis for county action.

Staff also outlined that a second, statutorily required public hearing will consider compensation adjustments for county officers tied to vehicle-use allowances; staff clarified that those vehicle-use adjustments reflect taxable benefit treatment and are distinct from merit or across‑the‑board salary changes under the compensation study. Commissioners asked that the two issues be presented as distinct items during the hearing: (1) the sheriff pay adjustments and (2) the county-officer compensation changes tied to vehicle use.

Why it matters: The sheriff‑office pay adjustments are a significant midyear budget item, affect sworn‑staff retention and recruitment, and could influence county budget planning in the coming fiscal cycle.

Next steps: Staff will keep the $2,000,000 figure on the agenda for the public hearing, present Baker Tilly’s options and the sheriff’s counterproposal, and then work with the sheriff’s office to determine the final allocation if commissioners approve the appropriation.

Ending: Commissioners directed staff to proceed with the public hearing. No final appropriations were approved at the July 21 work session.