Commissioners agree to revisit proposed elected-official pay increases after budget review

Clerk Tracy asked the Natrona County Board of Commissioners to place a resolution on the May 19 agenda to set elected-official wages, saying statute requires wages be set by June 1 and offering a four-year, phased plan that begins with a 12% first-year increase followed by 2% in each subsequent year.

"Statutory duties, reporting requirements, and operational demands have grown significantly," Tracy said, describing the proposal as a conservative approach to bring officials’ pay closer to market in line with the Baker Tilly compensation study.

Sheriff (who addressed the board during the discussion) acknowledged the sensitivity of officials’ pay being set before employee wage decisions and outlined his office’s operational scale — roughly 159 employees and a nearly $20 million budget — as part of justification for a higher sheriff’s salary than other elected offices. "It's humbling to have that discussion," the sheriff said, arguing that some discrepancies are defensible based on office size and statutory duties.

Commissioners’ reactions split between support and caution. One commissioner said a 12% one-time jump raised concerns about public perception and budget impact given the county faces revenue pressures; another said a staggered or stepped approach aligned with employee adjustments would be preferable. County staff noted a roughly 14% year-over-year drop in property-tax revenue as of March 31, which factored into deliberations.

Commissioners agreed to continue the discussion at a May 12 special meeting to review revenue projections and the final Baker Tilly peer materials, with a formal resolution likely to appear on the May 19 agenda. No formal vote to set pay occurred at the May 5 meeting.

Next steps: staff will supply revenue figures and peer comparisons ahead of the May 12 meeting and the May 19 agenda item.