St. Francois County commissioners approve 3% employee COLA, insurance contracts and grant-backed trail work

St. Francois County commissioners voted to approve a 3% cost-of-living allowance (COLA) for non-elected county employees, extend the jail’s lab services agreement with Quest, award a cyber insurance policy and keep workers’ compensation coverage through the Missouri Association of Counties trust, and authorize work tied to a $250,000 Recreation Trails Program (RTP) grant during their regular meeting.

The actions affect county payroll and multiple operating budgets, commit the county to several multi-year contracts and approve bridge and boiler repairs for county facilities.

The 3% COLA was approved for non-elected county staff effective Jan. 1, 2025. Commissioners said the increase is intended to keep county pay closer to surrounding first-class counties and to avoid lagging behind in an inflationary period; the county’s salary commission handles pay for elected officials and may set different adjustments for those offices. Commissioners discussed how elected officials historically receive a different adjustment mechanism tied to the salary commission’s schedule.

The commission approved extending the jail’s lab services agreement with Quest. Commissioners described the vendor as the largest regional provider and said the extension will let the jail continue routine testing services without interruption.

Commissioners approved a cybersecurity insurance policy with Evolve for $15,745.80 per year after confirming the prior procurement and bid cycle dates were recent. The board also reviewed workers’ compensation insurance options and voted to continue coverage through the Missouri Association of Counties (MAC) trust, citing MAC’s stability and concerns about short-term savings that could jeopardize…