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Clear Creek commissioners require board sign‑off on pay increases after sheriff requests small raises for sergeants
Summary
Clear Creek County commissioners on Jan. 21 directed staff to notify the board and seek direction in public before processing pay increases or reallocating budget savings, after Sheriff Harris requested roughly $17,100 in total raises to retain seven sergeants to maintain direct supervision of patrol and jail staff.
Clear Creek County commissioners on Jan. 21 directed county staff to notify the board and seek direction in a public meeting before processing any pay increases or using identified budget savings, after a public briefing by the sheriff on a request for modest, targeted raises for seven sergeants.
Sheriff Harris told the board he wants to address what he described as "root causes" of problems in the sheriff's office by keeping experienced supervisors on staff. Harris said the proposed increases would total about $17,100 in the current budget, applied across seven sergeants, and argued the change could reduce overtime and improve supervision for both jail and patrol operations.
The county attorney explained the division of authority: elected officials may hire deputies and set pay within their appropriated budget, while the board adopts a county compensation plan and controls overall appropriations. Commissioners said they understood the sheriff's need to retain supervision but stressed the county is in a tight budget position and asked that future pay decisions come back to the board for direction before being processed.
Commission Chair George Marlin read proposed direction aloud: staff is to notify the board in public for any pay increases or use of savings identified anywhere in the county budget, including elected offices, and to seek board direction prior to processing. Commissioners reached that direction by consensus; there was no recorded roll‑call vote.
Public comment during the meeting also raised separate but related public‑safety concerns. Carolyn Hone asked whether the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office has a written policy for notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and asked the commissioners to request the sheriff create a policy consistent with Colorado law. Commissioners responded that they expect elected offices to follow state law; one commissioner said he had not seen a written policy but that elected officials intend to comply with the statute.
Why it matters: The board is operating amid a multi‑year budget shortfall and has been limiting unplanned spending. Commissioners emphasized transparency and that salary changes affect the county's overall fiscal picture, so they want the board to review such requests publicly going forward.
What happened next: Staff and elected officeholders were directed to follow the new notification practice; no formal increase was processed on the record at the Jan. 21 meeting.
