Sheriff, elected officials back Baker Tilly compensation study; county presentation set for March 17

Sheriff John Harland and several elected officials told the Natrona County Board of Commissioners that a Baker Tilly compensation study is producing a structured pay plan the county can use to recruit and retain staff.

The study, Harland said, uses “safe scoring” to assign numerical values to job characteristics so the county can compare positions "apples to apples," and to provide objective justification for pay levels rather than ad hoc comparisons with nearby jurisdictions. "You can actually look at it and decide this is why they fit into this pay scale," he said.

County leaders described the study as a foundation for consistent job grades, progression paths and recruiting. HR Director Danielle Kek said leadership will review preliminary results with the consultant and that the final results will be brought to the commission on March 17 for consideration. "We will look further into the data from there and make sure everybody's in the right grades," she said.

Commissioners and elected officials also flagged implementation questions: how to blend the new pay plan with existing employees’ current pay trajectories, the timing of increases within budget constraints, and how to handle specialized civilian positions that are harder to benchmark. Treasurer Nick Martinez and others urged that the county not abandon employees through fiscal pressures and reiterated the county’s stated principle of "people before projects."

Next steps: the county will host the Baker Tilly presentation at a future session (March 17), after which commissioners said they will examine grade placements, costs and implementation options before taking formal action.