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Cole County adopts 2025 budget, approves COLA and EMS pay-grid; signs several administrative agreements
Summary
Cole County commissioners adopted the countys 2025 budget, approved a 2.2% cost-of-living adjustment plus a $500 flat payment for most positions, and approved a new EMS pay grid and other routine administrative items. The commission also set a salary reserve for HR review of additional pay requests.
Cole County commissioners voted to adopt the countys 2025 budget and approved a set of personnel and administrative measures tied to that spending plan during their Jan. 8 meeting.
The commission approved a 2.2% cost-of-living adjustment for most county positions and a flat $500 payment. The budget also includes a 4% county retirement contribution for 2025, continued majority coverage of employee health insurance premiums with employees responsible for dependent costs, and a line for a salary reserve that Human Resources will use to evaluate additional pay requests. Commissioners approved a new pay grid for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) effective Jan. 5, 2025, and scheduled a one-step increase for most EMS employees on July 7, 2025.
The budget was presented with fund-by-fund revenue, expense and fund-balance detail and was introduced as a court order for adoption. After a brief discussion about department requests and added positions, a motion to adopt the court order passed and the commission moved forward with implementation steps, including distributing pay-forms. Department heads were told pay forms and associated materials should be returned by Jan. 17 so payroll and the first budget run can proceed.
Commission discussion noted that the commission approved four new employees in the budget and that some individual salary requests beyond the 2.2% and $500 require additional HR review and formal approval. Commissioners and staff described a review process in which elected officials and department heads submit documentation to HR (through HR director Sheila) for vetting; HR will return recommendations to the commission for final action. The commission urged department heads to be conservative with spending and to seek efficiencies.
Votes at a glance: - 2025 Cole County budget (court order to adopt budget): motion made to execute/adopt; motion seconded; outcome approved. - New personnel/compensation actions within the adopted budget (2.2% COLA + $500 flat payment, EMS pay grid effective Jan. 5, 2025, one-step for most EMS employees on July 7, 2025): approved as part of the budget. - Salary reserve established for HR review of additional pay requests: approved as part of the budget.
Context and process notes: The commissions chair read a cover letter summarizing the budgets assumptions and policy decisions, including continued county contributions to retirement and health insurance. Commissioners emphasized that some additional pay requests would require further documentation and HR vetting before any changes beyond the baseline COLA and flat payment take effect. Staff said evaluations and supporting data should accompany any additional compensation requests.
Clarifying details recorded during the meeting included the approved COLA amount (2.2%) and the approved flat payment ($500), the EMS pay-grid effective date (Jan. 5, 2025) and the scheduled EMS one-step date (July 7, 2025); a salary reserve was budgeted to allow HR to evaluate other pay requests; pay forms and related materials are due Jan. 17; and council members noted that four new employee positions were added in this budget cycle.
The commissions adoption of the budget sets the countys financial plan for 2025 and directs staff to begin implementation steps, including final payroll runs and any subsequent HR-led reviews of additional compensation requests.
