Commissioners approve district-court pay plan; juvenile court requests separate review

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved, as part of its March 3 consent agenda, an implementation of a step pay plan for 46 Douglas County district court employees.

Sherry Larson, district court administrator, told the board the plan "is an implementation for a pay plan for 46 employees in the district court offices," covering 45 full-time and one part‑time county employees and aligning district court staff with step plans used elsewhere in county government. Larson said the plan resulted from about two years of work with human resources to write job descriptions and match comparable county positions.

Chad Brown, presiding juvenile court judge, asked the board to delay action for two weeks so juvenile court judges could consider whether juvenile-court employees (about 12 employees) should be on a similar step plan or be kept aligned with district court employees. Brown said the juvenile court wanted time to "digest it" and consult with staff; county staff noted juvenile court employees are not part of the district court administrator's department and any juvenile-court plan would be a separate process and could require a budget supplement.

Commissioners debated the equity implications and practicalities. Some members expressed sympathy for aligning pay scales to avoid discrepancies among bailiffs and administrative staff; others said the district court plan had been developed for years and should not be held up. County staff clarified the district-court plan would be implemented without a supplemental appropriation because the cost is included in the district court budget.

The consent agenda, including the district court pay plan, passed on a 6‑0 vote. Commissioners told juvenile court judges they could pursue a separate plan or supplemental request if they wished; the board did not reverse or delay the district-court implementation on March 3.