Coffey County adopts 15-step salary chart with 2.7% COLA, effective Jan. 30

The Coffey County Commission voted 4-0 on Jan. 20 to adopt a new 15-step salary chart and apply a 2.7% cost-of-living adjustment, effective in the Jan. 30, 2026 payroll. Commissioners said employees will be placed on the nearest step equal to or greater than their current wage and that April step increases will occur on the new chart and be effective Apr. 30, 2026.

County leaders framed the change as an effort to simplify the pay scale and stabilize long-term salary progression. The chair read the motion to adopt the 2026 salary chart and apply a 2.7% COLA; commissioners discussed whether to use a flat dollar COLA or a percentage and the effect on employees who would be at the top step under the new chart. The county’s payroll staff said they had budgeted for step and longevity increases and that applying the COLA now would use existing General Fund resources.

Commissioners noted potential short-term costs from moving to the 15-step chart but said the county had accounted for much of the difference in departmental budgets. One commissioner summarized the final motion as: move to the 15-step chart, remove the previously discussed $0.12 hourly adder, apply a 2.7% COLA, and allow the April step increases to go forward on the new chart. The motion passed 4-0.

What happens next: county payroll staff will update step-dollar amounts and CP-4U payroll forms to reflect the change; the commission directed the chairman and staff to sign required documents and implement the payroll adjustments. The commission did not identify any further formal votes tied to this item at the meeting.