Adams County supervisors approve midyear pay adjustments and amend budget to accommodate raises

The Adams County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a motion to implement a $2-per-hour pay increase framework for county employees and asked staff to amend the county budget and return with legal guidance on how the increase should be structured.

County staff (Scott) told the board the approved budget did not include the increase and recommended a midyear amendment. “I have $2 for employees per hour,” Scott said during the discussion, noting the board’s previously approved budget would need adjustment to cover the change. Supervisors raised concerns about whether the money is paid to an office or to an individual employee; Scott said existing agreements he reviewed showed payments to offices in other counties and that he would circulate the statute text and a memo for review.

Board members discussed cost estimates and timing. One supervisor said an earlier estimate of county cost was “around $65,000,” while other speakers referenced prorating the increase from the July 1 effective date. The board approved a block motion to implement the change and to include pay-in-lieu claims as a conservative measure while staff completes the legal review.

The board also approved related procedural motions: authorization for certain routine document-signing to speed grant and contract processing and direction to amend the budget to reflect the increase. No formal ordinance or policy text was adopted; supervisors directed staff to return with specific budget figures, legal citations, and an implementation plan at a later meeting.

What’s next: staff will circulate the legal memo and a line-item budget amendment for board review before the changes are implemented.