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Adams County Council adopts 2025 solid-waste budget, salary ordinance and wage-review recommendations
Summary
The Adams County Council approved the 2025 Solid Waste budget, moved the county salary ordinance and adopted wage-review committee recommendations including a three-position package and amended prosecuting-attorney staffing changes.
Adams County Council on Sept. 4 approved the county’s 2025 solid-waste budget, adopted a separate salary ordinance and ratified wage-review committee recommendations for three county positions, the council said during a public budget hearing.
The wage-review committee recommended reclassification and pay adjustments for three positions and the council voted to adopt those recommendations. Corey (Wage-review committee member) told the council, “we were unanimous on all 3 of those,” and presented the committee’s package during the hearing. The council then moved to adopt the salary ordinance that reflects the committee’s recommendations.
Why it matters: the salary ordinance and associated wage changes determine pay for county staff and affect the county budget that must be finalized and submitted to state systems in real time after adoption, the council’s finance staff said.
The council opened the hearing on the 2025 budget and salary ordinance after a brief separate solid-waste budget meeting. Council members asked staff to ensure any approved salary changes were entered promptly so documentation could be printed and filed with the state gateway within the required window. During discussion, county staff clarified that the wage-review committee recommended moving one building director pay grade from an existing level to a higher step, leaving the HR coordinator on the regular 3% increase pending a possible future reclassification, and maintaining the chief deputy auditor’s grade with the 3% raise.
The council also considered two amended salary items tied to specific offices: Shannon (Wage-review committee lead) described a recommendation from the wage-review process to convert a victim-advocate role in the prosecuting-attorney’s office to a full-time position with an hourly rate of $24.50 and noted there is a grant that “pays for 80% of the salary,” leaving the county responsible for the remaining share. The council approved the amended salary for the victim-advocate position.
Separately, the council approved an amended salary item for a deputy position in public safety at $28.72 an hour and approved related transfers and appropriations needed to fund the changes for the remainder of the year.
Council members and wage-review committee members discussed the need for a broader, system-wide review of job categories and elected-official pay in the coming year. Several members urged a larger reevaluation, saying current categories are years old and need updating to remain competitive. One council member said the review “is going to have to be a little bit bigger” next year and flagged the need to avoid repeatedly “kicking the can down the road.”
Votes and procedure: the council made and seconded motions to approve the solid-waste budget, the wage-review committee package and the salary ordinance; all motions carried by voice vote during the meeting. Finance staff said salary entries must be reflected in the system within a short window after adoption so paperwork can be reprinted and submitted to the state gateway.
Looking ahead: council members set a priority to revisit the overall classification and pay structure next year, and staff said they will prepare documentation for implementation and for any additional reclassifications the council approves.
