Lyon County approves 16% pay-range increase for deputy district attorneys to address vacancies
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Summary
The Board approved a 16% increase to salary ranges L2–L5 effective Feb. 14, 2026, aimed at improving recruitment and retention for deputy district attorney positions after repeated vacancies and offers declined for pay reasons.
The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners voted Feb. 5 to approve a 16% increase in the salary ranges L2 through L5, affecting deputy district attorney classifications and related positions, effective Feb. 14, 2026.
Comptroller Josh Foley explained the change was prompted by persistent vacancy and recruitment challenges in the district attorney's office. Foley said Lyon County's actual pay for comparable positions was roughly $7,000–$8,000 below peer counties' actual pay and that the county had been forced to recruit repeatedly without success. He told the board that midpoint/market comparisons indicated the county was about 16% behind comparable jurisdictions on what they actually pay for similar experience levels.
Foley also noted statutory considerations: the district attorney's salary must be at least 3% higher than the chief deputy's and that the measured adjustment will affect the district attorney's pay on the following July 1. A public commenter criticized the decision as unfair because many county employees received much smaller raises earlier.
Commissioner Hockaday moved to approve the salary-range adjustments and a $60,000 transfer from general-fund contingency to effect the change for affected employees; the motion passed 5–0.
