Rawlins County approves raises, bonuses and targeted pay changes across departments

The Rawlins County Board of Commissioners approved a package of pay raises, bonuses and position-specific wage changes during a special session on Jan. 23, 2025, voting to grant several 3% cost-of-living increases and other adjustments for county staff.

Sheriff Catyln Wahrman told the board she had worked 475 hours of overtime and 1,950 hours of on-call time in the last year and had regularly covered dispatch shifts without additional pay. "I have worked 475 hours of overtime. I've taken 1,950 hours of call time," Sheriff Catyln Wahrman said, describing steps she said she took to fill staffing gaps, tighten hiring practices and improve dispatch operations. Commissioner Lincoln Pochop moved to give Wahrman a 3% raise; Commissioner Mark Mosley seconded and the motion carried.

Road & Bridge supervisor Mark Loop asked the commissioners to approve a 3% average raise for his entire department and proposed increasing the part-time starting wage to $15 per hour. County Attorney Chris Rohr recommended a countywide wage study to inform the 2026 budget; the board approved the 3% average raise for Road & Bridge and agreed a study would be useful.

Treasurer RayeAnn Wright asked the board to set competitive wages for her office and explained how the Motor Vehicle Operating Fund is typically used. The board approved wage adjustments that set Wright at $26.00 per hour, Chris Adamson at $18.00 per hour and Rebecca Chubb at $16.50 per hour.

Register of Deeds Janice Bohme described implementing new recording software and back-indexing efforts that she said make title searches faster and could generate revenue through subscriptions for title companies. Bohme requested a 3% raise and permission to hire a half-time back-indexer; the board approved a 3% raise.

Public Health staff Mary Clark and Jennifer Hurst requested a 3% raise and a temporary $1,000 monthly bonus each while the department's leadership is settled. Commissioners approved the 3% raises and the $1,000-per-month bonuses for both employees through the end of April, at which time the board will reevaluate the bonuses. Commissioners also recommended hiring a receptionist to reduce administrative burdens on the department.

Corey Castens asked for pay increases for Recycling and the Landfill and proposed raising one employee's pay by $2 per hour. The board approved a 3.3% raise funded from the Recycling budget for Castens and a 4% raise charged to the Landfill budget; a larger 6% request was not approved.

County Attorney Chris Rohr asked the board to move a previously budgeted $12,000 rent line to the salaries line so his compensation is paid as salary rather than as rent. The commissioners approved reallocating the $12,000 and setting the County Attorney salary at $59,000 per year.

Maintenance worker Stacey Mentlick was approved for an increase to $18.50 per hour after discussion of budget details. Deputy County Clerk and Public Transportation Director Renee Sagel received an increase from $815 to $875 per month to reflect additional reporting and vehicle-related workload.

County Clerk Rachel Finley outlined an expanded set of duties over the past year—including additional elections, election security requirements, audits, grant reporting and courthouse security—and the board approved a 9% raise for the clerk. The appraiser's office received a 3% raise for Appraiser Alicia Baumfalk; the board also approved setting a starting wage of $16.50 for an appraisal clerk and raising deputy appraisal clerk Gwen Maris to $18.50 per hour, while noting that a broader wage study could better align salaries with market levels.

EMS Director Megan Rippe proposed tiered hourly wages—B-EMTs at $17.00 per hour and A-EMTs at $17.50 per hour—citing regional comparisons and differing certification responsibilities. The board raised Rippe's salary to $65,450 per year and approved the new hourly rates for EMTs and A-EMTs.

The board discussed a county-owned property the Health Department had purchased and acknowledged interested buyers; the meeting adjourned at 11:07 a.m.

The commissioners approved each motion by voice vote; where the minutes record only "motion carried," the transcript does not include individual roll-call tallies. The board recommended conducting a countywide wage study ahead of the 2026 budget cycle to better align starting and midpoint wages across departments.