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Commissioners weigh selective COLA amid concerns about tied deputy pay
Summary
Park County commissioners discussed whether to grant a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to staff but not elected officials; staff warned that deputy and chief pay lines are tied by percentage to elected-official wages, which could require other adjustments to preserve parity.
A question early in the Park County budget workshop focused on whether the county could provide a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for staff while excluding elected officials.
"Can we go a COLA without having the elected officials and just go to the elected?" a commissioner asked, prompting staff to outline linked payroll consequences. Erica explained that certain positions — notably deputies and chief deputies — have pay scales tied as a percentage to elected officials. "So if his wage doesn't go up, you could adjust the discretionary wage to help them, wages stay consistent for deputies and detention," Erica said, describing how adjustments could be made to avoid creating compression or inequity.
Staff also recounted a local precedent during COVID when elected officials were not paid a COLA and were subsequently paid the omitted COLA the following year. "During COVID, there was a decision made that the elected officials not get COLA... the following year, they actually paid the elected officials COLA that they did not pay them the prior year," Erica said, noting that the practice reflected a local decision rather than a statutory prohibition.
Commissioners and staff discussed options short of a uniform exclusion, including targeted discretionary increases and step adjustments for particular job classes. No decision was reached at the workshop; staff noted the county could implement changes before the Sept. 4 amendment cutoff or handle changes via a later budget amendment.
