Park County mediators, union reach tentative two‑year wage package for deputies; joint committee to seek funding

Park County commissioners and the deputies’ bargaining representatives reached a tentative agreement in mediation on Feb. 11 that would shift the parties from a contested three‑year request to a two‑year framework and create a joint compensation committee to seek sustainable funding for police pay.

The package the county and union negotiators agreed to tentatively would: give deputies a larger immediate increase for the remainder of FY26 (characterized in the session as a 5% uplift in lieu of retroactive/back pay), followed by a higher second‑year increase (a county target discussed in the room was roughly an 11% increase for FY27, subject to final budget calculations). The county and union also agreed to form a “joint compensation advancement committee” charged with identifying grants, legislative options, tax measures and other funding strategies within 180 days.

Why it matters: union members told negotiators many deputies are struggling with basic costs — the union cited a recent HRDC study noting some staff are at or below poverty thresholds — and argued immediate relief is necessary to retain staff. Commissioners and county finance staff said the budget is constrained: they cited limited reserves, the share of tax dollars already flowing to the sheriff’s office, and uncertainty about future revenues. The committee is intended to bridge that gap by hunting for new revenue streams and grant funding rather than relying solely on cuts to services or capital spending.

Negotiators described the tradeoffs that shaped the deal. County officials ran through spreadsheet scenarios showing how different percentage choices carry into FY27 and FY28 and explained how decisions such as deferring vehicle purchases, relinquishing a lease, or relying on projected resort‑tax revenue would affect the county’s ability to cover payroll increases. County staff estimated the immediate FY26 cost of an additional 3% on top of the implemented FY26 COLA at about $65,000; larger multi‑year increases would require either new revenue or cuts, or both.

Union leaders emphasized the immediacy of the affordability problem. "Almost half of our staff is below the poverty line," one union representative said during the session, urging commissioners to prioritize retention. County commissioners repeatedly said they would rather reduce planned capital purchases — "gamble on equipment," as one commissioner put it — than risk losing deputies. That shared willingness to pursue non‑payroll funding sources helped unlock the tentative deal.

The mediation produced draft contract language for the joint committee that negotiators approved in concept at the table: the committee will include equal representatives from management and the union (including the sheriff), up to three jointly selected community experts with relevant experience (for example, grant writing or economic development), meet at least quarterly, and produce written recommendations for the sheriff and county commissioners. The committee’s recommendations are nonbinding; negotiators agreed the group should operate in good faith and that union members would not lose pay for time spent attending scheduled committee meetings.

Next steps: the tentative agreement is subject to union ratification and a formal vote by the Park County commissioners. Negotiators set an aggressive timeline — they discussed getting documents finalized for the county’s Feb. 24 commission meeting — and agreed to keep arbitration scheduling options open while continuing to negotiate. If ratified by the union and approved by the commissioners, the wage changes would take effect on the date specified by the parties (negotiators said they intended the county’s FY26 implementation to be the date of ratification, not retroactive to earlier pay periods).

The mediation ended without a public vote; negotiators said they would reconvene to finalize paperwork and bring the terms back for ratification and a commissioners vote. The session also left open follow‑up work on precise payroll math and any technical wording needed to ensure COLA, step increases and retirement calculations are handled correctly in payroll.