Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Douglas County approves juvenile court bailiffs' pay increase, ties start date to district court
Summary
The county board approved raising separate juvenile court bailiffs to $41.53/hour (12 positions), estimating $15,724.80 annually for the county; the board amended the resolution so the pay takes effect the same day the district court implements its bailiff compensation, and asked HR to work on longer-term step-plan parity.
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners on March 24 approved a pay increase for bailiffs in the Separate Juvenile Court, moving the first step to $41.53 per hour for 12 employees.
Presiding Judge Chad Brown asked the board to mirror recently adopted district court compensation. Court administrator Raymond Curtis told commissioners the raise would cost about $15,724.80 annually for all 12 bailiffs and about $5,236.36 for the remaining four months of the current fiscal year; he said the juvenile court is currently operating approximately $400,000 under its operating budget. "This is not a step plan; this is a raise to match what the step plan has created," Curtis said.
Human Resources Director Karen Butch and County Attorney staff urged caution, noting the county seeks consistent compensation and that converting to step plans requires careful work. County Attorney counsel cited the statute giving the presiding judge authority over juvenile court compensation (Chapter 43) and described the board's role in approving the county-side budget implications.
Commissioners debated parity and timing: several said they wanted the juvenile court to align with the district court so employees do not fall behind, and others recommended routing follow-up work through the HR committee to avoid repeated ad hoc fixes. Commissioner Rogers said sending the issue to committee would help "get it lined up" so the county does not "chase our tail." Commissioner Borgeson urged moving the raise now and completing the step-plan details later.
The board amended the resolution so the juvenile court pay step will be implemented "the same day as district court implements their compensation plan for bailiffs," a change the board's legal staff agreed could be reflected in the resolution language. The motion to approve the amended resolution passed by voice vote, 7–0.
The judge said he will work with HR to explore whether a formal step plan is appropriate; HR and commissioners asked for that work to be completed through the HR committee so future adjustments are coordinated. The action is expected to be implemented administratively when the district court's compensation action takes effect.
Action details: The board approved the amended resolution to raise juvenile court bailiffs to $41.53/hour for 12 employees; estimated annual fiscal impact $15,724.80; effective date tied to district court implementation. The resolution passed 7–0.
