Commissioners direct staff to draft two salary resolutions after extended debate
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Summary
Following extensive debate about fiscal constraints and recruitment, commissioners instructed staff to prepare two salary resolutions for elected officials — a low scenario (2% annual increases and flatlined county board pay) and a high scenario (8.27% first year with subsequent annual increases) — to be voted on at next Monday's reorganization meeting.
Lincoln County commissioners spent an extended portion of their Jan. 5 meeting debating options for elected-official salaries for the 2027–2030 term and directed staff to prepare alternative resolutions for next week’s reorganization meeting.
Commissioners discussed several proposals: a conservative plan of 2% annual increases across offices; a plan that spreads a larger adjustment over four years; and an option that front-loads an 8.27% increase the first year followed by 3% annually. Commissioners cited budget pressure from the state legislature and the county's limited revenue outlook as reasons to be cautious. One commissioner described the need to "maximize the financial revenue" to avoid future service cuts, while others noted the importance of compensating experienced officials.
Chair asked staff to prepare two draft resolutions for the board’s Jan. 12 meeting: one 'low' resolution that would provide 2% annual increases for most offices while flatlining the county board’s pay, and one 'high' resolution that would implement 8.27% in year one with higher follow-on increases (the staffing committee also provided spreadsheet figures to support drafting). Tyler confirmed he had the financial spreadsheets and could assemble the required resolution language and numbers.
No final salary resolution was adopted Jan. 5. Commissioners set a deadline to finalize a resolution at the reorganization meeting next Monday to meet payroll timing.