Davis County budget committee weighs move to COLA-focused pay strategy as health and retirement costs rise

Davis County Budget Committee members and staff on an internal budget meeting reviewed compensation, benefits and recruitment data and discussed a possible shift in strategy that would prioritize broader cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA) over larger merit pools and spot market adjustments.

County human resources and controller staff presented analyses showing market pressures, benchmark gaps and rising benefit costs that affect the county’s 2026 budget. Committee members and HR staff discussed order‑of‑operations options — applying a COLA first, then addressing remaining below‑market benchmarks — and considered nonwage options such as two or three “personal preference” days as part of total compensation.

Why it matters: payroll is a large share of the county’s spending and changes to pay policy affect department budgets and service levels. Staff told the committee that roughly two‑thirds of the general fund is payroll and that shifting how COLA and merit are applied materially changes the number of positions needing separate market adjustments.

Most important facts

- Staff reported that Davis County implemented a 0.5% pay‑scale adjustment (COLA) in 2025 and that benchmark analysis now lists 29 benchmarked job classifications that the county considers below…