Lake County approves multiple employee MOUs and salary resolutions for 2025–2029

At a Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board approved memoranda of understanding and resolutions that implement the county's 2024 compensation study and provide multi‑year cost‑of‑living adjustments for multiple employee units covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029 (dates vary for one deputies agreement).

The measures approved include MOUs with the Lake County Employees Association (LCEA units 3, 4 and 5), Lake County Correctional Officers Association (unit 6), Lake County Deputy District Attorneys Association (unit 8), Lake County Safety Employees Association (unit 10), Lake County Deputy Sheriffs Association (unit 16), Lake County Sheriff's Management Association (unit 17), and the county's management and confidential unit salary resolutions. Together the actions implement the 2024 compensation study at 97.5% of the market median for affected job classes, adopt multi‑year COLAs for most units, raise the bilingual incentive to $225 per month, and standardize longevity and other pay provisions across units.

Casey Moreno, deputy county administrative officer, told the board these agreements implement the compensation study and related side letters and summarized changes including market adjustments, a series of COLAs and adjustments to bilingual pay and longevity eligibility. "This is the largest, unit for the county workforce, consisting of 811 allocations," Moreno said when describing the LCEA units.

Key provisions that the board approved include: - Market adjustment: implementation of the 2024 compensation study at 97.5% of market median for covered job classes. - COLAs: three years of 3.5% COLAs for most units (the Lake County Deputy Sheriffs Association negotiated a three‑year agreement with two years of 3.5% COLAs following the market adjustment). - Bilingual pay: change from 2.5% of base pay to a flat $225 per month for qualifying positions. - Longevity and seniority: longevity eligibility was revised across units to be based on total continuous service and total qualifying hours worked; several units updated callback and overtime definitions and specialty pays.

Board members and staff repeatedly noted the budget impact and the presence of "Y‑rated" positions (positions whose current pay exceeds the new schedule so they receive no immediate increase until the schedule rises enough to eliminate the differential). Moreno reported that the LCEA package alone carries an estimated cost of about $2,900,000, of which $763,000 is general fund. He said 56 positions in that package are Y‑rated (33 negative, 23 at 0). For the deputy district attorneys association (unit 8) Moreno said the estimated cost was about $360,000, with $337,000 charged to the general fund and no Y‑rated positions. For the county management unit Moreno said the estimated cost was about $890,000, with $330,000 to the general fund and 17 Y‑rated positions (12 negative, 5 at 0).

Supervisor Sabatier registered formal opposition to the multi‑year contracts. "I do not agree with any of these raises that are being proposed today," Sabatier said, arguing the county should not commit to four‑year increases in an unpredictable economic environment and saying she would have preferred a one‑year approach or an across‑the‑board COLA for all employees. Sabatier cast the single recorded "nay" vote on multiple items; each motion passed 4–1–0.

A member of the county payroll office, Genevieve Harrington, spoke during the confidential unit A item to highlight local staffing impacts: "This does mean ... no increase whatsoever, not colas, nothing, will be received by that position until July first of 2027," she said regarding two payroll positions that are Y‑rated negative. Moreno and other staff acknowledged there are outliers that will require case‑by‑case review.

Votes at a glance (motion outcomes taken from the transcript): - Item 6.8: Memorandum of Understanding, Lake County Employees Association (LCEA units 3, 4 and 5) for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — motion approved (vote recorded as 4 yes, 1 no, 0 abstain). - Item 6.9: Memorandum of Understanding, Lake County Correctional Officers Association (unit 6) for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — motion approved (4–1–0). - Item 6.10 (listed as 6.1 in packet): Memorandum of Understanding, Lake County Deputy District Attorneys Association (unit 8) for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — motion approved (4–1–0). - Item 6.11: Memorandum of Understanding, Lake County Safety Employees Association (unit 10) for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — motion approved (4–1–0). - Item 6.12/6.13: Memorandum of Understanding, Lake County Deputy Sheriffs Association (LCDSA, unit 16) for 07/01/2025–06/30/2028 — motion approved (4–1–0). - Item 6.13 (resolution): Resolution establishing salaries and benefits for confidential unit section A for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — adopted (roll call shows 4 yes, 1 no). - Item 6.14 (resolution): Resolution establishing salaries and benefits for confidential unit section B for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — adopted (4–1–0). - Item 6.15: Memorandum of Understanding, Lake County Sheriff's Management Association (unit 17) for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — motion approved (4–1–0). - Item 6.16 (resolution): Resolution establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for 07/01/2025–06/30/2029 — adopted (4–1–0).

The board's approvals standardize several pay practices across bargaining units and clarify longevity and pay differentials, but they also leave unresolved budget and equity questions for Y‑rated positions that staff said will require further, targeted review. The county attorney provided the motion language when needed during the meeting, and no substantive amendments were offered on the floor. The board concluded the compensation package portion of the agenda after the votes.