Lawrence County approves 3% COLA for most nonunion, management employees; court hires, technical amendments cleared

Lawrence County’s Salary Board voted unanimously Monday to grant a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for most nonunion and management employees, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The board also approved a higher base salary for the county’s treatment court coordinator and adopted technical amendments to an earlier courts resolution.

The board chair introduced Salary Board Resolution 2026-1 to implement a 3% COLA for full‑ and part‑time nonunion and management staff in court‑related offices, and later extended the same adjustment to most county departments, the comptroller’s office, the coroner, sheriff, treasurer and other offices. “This will implement a 3% cost of living adjustment to take effect on January 1 of 2026 for full and part time non union and management employees,” the chair said as the board took the measures up in sequence.

The most substantive debate concerned the courts’ request to reset the base salary for the treatment court coordinator. President Judge Cox told the board the historical base had been $40,000 and that the county was struggling to recruit at that level. “With the $40,000 base salary, we would just not be able to find anyone. So we’re asking it to be placed at $55,000,” President Judge Cox said, adding that a recently retired coordinator had been earning “probably over $60,000.” The board approved the $55,000 base by roll call.

Judge Cox also asked the board to rescind a line from a December 2025 resolution that had provided a separate increase for a secretarial position; he said rescinding that line and allowing the standard COLA to apply would eliminate dispute and reduce future salary obligations if a new hire were made. The board carried the technical amendment.

Most other resolutions were routine and brief: each office’s nonunion and management staff (excluding employees covered by collective-bargaining agreements) was slated to receive the 3% increase, with the elected officials’ COLA governed by a separate ordinance tied to the consumer price index (the controller noted that figure for elected officials was 3.1 percent for the referenced CPI period). Several motions were proposed and seconded from the floor; roll-call votes recorded unanimous affirmative responses for each resolution as presented.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 1 — 3% COLA for court and court‑related offices: approved (roll call recorded unanimous ‘Yes’). - Resolution 2 — Set treatment court coordinator base salary at $55,000 (up from a historical $40,000 base): approved (roll call recorded unanimous ‘Yes’). - Resolution 3 — Technical amendment to rescind a line from Res. 2025‑34 (secretarial increase): approved (roll call recorded unanimous ‘Yes’). - Resolution 4 — Comptroller’s office 3% COLA: approved (unanimous). - Resolution 5 — Coroner’s office 3% COLA: approved (unanimous). - Resolution 6 — District Attorney’s office 3% COLA (amended union reference corrected in meeting): approved (unanimous). - Resolution 7 — Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts 3% COLA: approved (unanimous). - Resolution 8 — Recorder/Register of Wills 3% COLA: approved (unanimous). - Resolution 9 — Sheriff’s office 3% COLA: approved (unanimous). - Resolution 10 — Treasurer’s office 3% COLA: approved (unanimous). - Resolution 11 — County departments (commissioners’ jurisdiction) 3% COLA, covering multiple departments (maintenance, voter services, IT, HR, mental health, veterans, planning, solid waste, public safety, public defenders, tax claim, children and youth services, etc.): approved (unanimous). - Resolution 12 — Jail employees (separate prison board jurisdiction) treated separately and approved at this meeting (roll call recorded unanimous ‘Yes’ among voting members present).

What it means

The series of resolutions applies the same 3% COLA to the county’s nonunion and management workforce across most offices; employees covered by bargaining agreements remain subject to their contracts. The change is effective Jan. 1, 2026. The board’s action to increase the treatment court coordinator base to $55,000 is aimed at improving recruitment and reflects board discussion that the old base made hiring difficult.

The board opened and closed the meeting with two public‑comment opportunities and recorded no substantive public statements on salary matters during the session. The meeting concluded after routine housekeeping items and a motion to adjourn.