County staff presented a proposed revision to the county salary chart that would compress existing pay steps from 22 to 15, a change staff said would let employees reach top pay sooner and help recruitment.

"What I just handed out is a revised or proposed salary chart modification changing from 22 current steps to 15 steps," a staff member said during the meeting. Department heads and commissioners traded multiple questions about longevity, cost and whether the change would require adjustments to longevity pay or other benefits.

Supporters said shorter steps make the county more competitive in regional hiring markets. One commissioner warned that the board must understand the total fiscal impact before adopting the change: "We need to be on board with the cost," a commissioner said.

Staff estimated preliminary annualized costs for one 50-employee department at roughly $20,000 and suggested countywide costs could, on a rough estimate, be in the tens of thousands; staff committed to delivering more precise, department-level figures and a consolidated cost estimate to the board by Jan. 13 so the board could consider adopting the schedule with knowledge of budget impacts.