Dickinson County officials pause on 2025 compensation plan, request more detail and phased options

The Dickinson County Commission reopened discussion of the proposed 2025 compensation plan but did not adopt the package, instead asking the county's compensation consultant for more detailed, printed numbers and options for a phased approach.

Commissioner Ron Roller and Commissioner Craig led the session to untable the compensation plan and invited public comment and staff presentations. Marcus Rothschild, assistant county administrator and finance director, reported the county has completed its 2024 year-end close and moved into 2025 accounting work. Dwayne, the county's compensation consultant, outlined options labeled "plan b" and "plan c," including a possible 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and different approaches to resolving long-term wage compression.

Why it matters: County employees' wages and benefits are a large and growing share of the county budget, and commissioners and residents said they want any pay changes to be sustainable and transparent. Public commenters cautioned against large across-the-board increases without clear funding and urged attention to service impacts if salaries outpace revenue growth.

Discussion and public comment Don Neville, a resident, said he supports fair pay but questioned automatic raises based on tenure: "I have no…