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Eureka County commissioners approve salary-range changes, COLA and a series of staffing and payroll adjustments
Summary
The Eureka County Board of Commissioners approved a new salary schedule effective July 7, 2024, a $.50 cost-of-living adjustment and a set of staffing directions including hiring an additional mechanic and two casual positions; the board also authorized opening a new payroll checking account after a cybersecurity finding.
The Eureka County Board of Commissioners voted March 5 to implement a new pay schedule based on a PayPoint HR salary study and to adopt a $.50 cost-of-living adjustment and merit increases, with the changes effective July 7, 2024.
Comptroller Kim Todd told the board the COLA and merit adjustments were estimated at about $242,000 and that adding discussed positions and a prior salary-survey action increased the county’s projected personnel cost by roughly $1.6 million. "We propose shifting to a fixed-dollar COLA to address wage compression across pay rates," Todd said during the presentation.
The board approved multiple staffing directions. Commissioners voted to hire an additional mechanic and reallocate its cost 50/50 between the Road Department and the Sheriff’s Office. They approved two additional casual positions, decided not to fill a kitchen aide role, and declined to add a grant-writer position for the District Attorney. Chairman Rich McKay and Commissioner Marty Plaskett voted to budget for a County Manager and an Emergency Manager; Commissioner Michael Sharkory opposed that budget authorization.
Treasurer Pemecia Johnson told commissioners a cybersecurity firm found a previously cashed check from April 2023 on the dark web and recommended opening a new payroll and accounts-payable checking account; the board authorized the change and approved closing the old account after the new account is fully functional.
Other fiscal actions taken at the meeting included approval of expenditures totaling $910,479.96, and ratification of a $1,000 credit-card limit increase for delivery costs related to county equipment. The board also approved a permanent $2,000 monthly increase in the county purchasing card limit assigned to an IT staff member to accommodate ongoing procurement needs.
The board closed the personnel and fiscal items by voting unanimously on the motions recorded in the minutes; most motions were approved 3-0.
