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Columbia County approves staff pay increases as commissioners weigh a $776,000 budget shortfall and COLA options
Summary
The Columbia County Board approved salary increases for two public-works leaders and spent an extended session weighing a roughly $776,000 projected shortfall, options for a countywide cost-of-living adjustment and plans to bolster the county's health-care reimbursement fund using reserves and one-time contributions.
The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday approved salary increases for two public-works officials and discussed how to cover an estimated $776,000 budget shortfall.
In separate motions the board voted to raise Public Works Engineer Grant Morgan's salary to $157,000 and to set County Land Surveyor and Engineering Manager Ron Weeks's salary at $108,721.90, both effective Jan. 1. The motions passed by voice vote. The increases were presented by Public Works and tied to retention and pay‑market considerations.
The more extensive portion of the meeting focused on the county's projected shortfall and whether to approve a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). County finance staff said the current best estimate of the shortfall is about $776,000 and noted that figure includes known salary increases but does not yet include a COLA. Staff estimated a 2% COLA would add roughly $47,000–$49,000 to the current-expense budget and about $92,000–$102,000 countywide, depending on which funds are included.
Commissioners discussed a range of options to cover the gap: drawing on reserves, targeted cuts to nonessential spending (training, travel), delaying or reprioritizing capital projects, one-time transfers from ARPA/LATCF funds and small recurring contributions from departmental budgets into the health-care reimbursement fund. Finance staff noted the county currently has several reserve and special-fund balances that could be deployed one time, and suggested a staged approach (partial reserve use plus departmental contributions) to shore up healthcare deductibles while preserving long-term sustainability.
Several commissioners stressed the political and operational trade-offs of aggressive cuts or hiring freezes. Staff noted that bargaining units and specific departmental budgets will affect the final numbers and recommended commissioners give clear direction soon so those amounts can be reflected in the forthcoming budget documents.
Next steps: staff said they will prepare scenarios that show the fiscal impact of different COLA levels and reserve uses, and the board discussed returning to the issue within two weeks for more concrete direction.
