Kootenai County commissioners approve FY26 pay matrices, COLA, longevity and retention bonuses

Kootenai County commissioners on Sept. 18 approved new FY2026 pay matrices, authorized cost-of-living and longevity increases effective Sept. 21, and signed off on one-time retention bonuses for the prosecuting attorney’s office and the sheriff’s dispatch staff.

The actions came during a regularly scheduled human resources meeting attended by county commissioners and staff. Dorothy Cross of human resources sought to place a clarification on the record and then presented the compensation proposals that the board approved by unanimous voice vote.

Human-resources clarification

Dorothy Cross, speaking for human resources, asked the board to put on the record that “HR did not recommend that the assessor have a policy regarding candidacy for election office,” citing a request by a person named Sylvia to record that fact.

Why it matters

The approvals alter pay tables and one-time payouts that affect dozens of county employees and will change payroll costs. Commissioners discussed budget impacts, questions about how longevity increases were calculated, and staffing pressures in public-safety offices that motivated bonus requests.

Pay matrices and COLA/longevity increases

The board approved new FY2026 pay matrices prepared by human resources so the county can publish them and departments can begin internal communications. Separately, commissioners approved cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) and changes to longevity pay that will take effect Sept. 21, 2025. Cross told the board the department provided a spreadsheet of every pay increase that will be effective on that date and requested approval because…