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Geary County considers 2% COLA, $25-per-paycheck 457 match and sets 2027 budget calendar
Summary
Finance Director Tammy Robinson proposed a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 plus step increases and a $25-per-paycheck county match to employee 457 plans (requiring $50 employee contribution); the board set budget baseline and hearing dates and will finalize baseline estimates April 6.
Tammy Robinson, Geary County finance director, told the board on March 17 that staff are proposing a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 paired with step increases and a county match to employees' deferred compensation plan. "What I am proposing to put in our preliminary budgets is a 2% COLA with the step, which is approximately 3," Robinson said.
Robinson described a proposed $25-per-paycheck county match to the county's 457 deferred compensation plan, with the condition that "the employee would have to contribute at least $50 each paycheck in order to get that match." She said that structure would yield about a $650 annual benefit for an employee who enrolls and contributes at the stated rate.
The finance director presented the 2027 budget calendar and key deadlines: April 6 to finalize baseline estimates; April 17 to distribute personnel reports to departments; department and outside-agency hearings currently scheduled for June 8'19; and an October 1 deadline for adopted budgets. Robinson reminded the board that appraiser values and clerk timelines shape when the county can set the mill levy: the appraiser's values are due May 15 and the clerk's valuation-related work must be completed on or before June 15 by statute.
Robinson framed the proposal as an attempt to balance pay adjustments and benefits across employees. She noted that county compensation measures since 2022 total about 7% applied as raises, while the CPIU (the county's referenced annualized inflation index) totals 23.4% over the multi-year span discussed. "If you look at what we're doing for the 457 plan and providing a 2% COLA, those things are benefits to the employees as well," she said.
Board members discussed whether to include new personnel requests in the baseline budget or require separate requests later, and they debated community engagement for budget hearings. Robinson said departments will review personnel reports after April 17 and that commissioners should check availability during the June 8'19 window for department hearings.
Next steps: the board will set budget baseline estimates on April 6 and departments will be scheduled for hearings in June. No final vote on COLA or the 457 match was taken at this meeting.
