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Coffey County adopts 15‑step pay chart, applies 12¢/hour adjustment instead of April step
Summary
The Coffey County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to move county employees onto a new 15‑step salary chart effective Jan. 30, 2026. To limit first‑year cost, the board applied a 12¢/hour across‑the‑board adjustment now in lieu of the usual April step increase; COLA will still be applied per policy.
The Coffey County Board of Commissioners on Monday adopted a new 15‑step salary chart for hourly county employees and directed staff to make the chart effective with the Jan. 30, 2026 payroll. The change passed on a 5–0 voice vote after extended discussion of budget impacts and employee recruitment concerns.
Commissioner Peterson moved adoption of the "2026 salary chart — 15 steps," and the board discussed how to implement it without exceeding the amount the county had budgeted for assumed step increases. Angie (county finance/payroll) told the board the cost to place current employees on the new 15‑step chart would be about $83,116; keeping the old step schedule and applying the April step would have cost roughly $118,331. The board resolved the difference by applying a 12¢/hour adjustment now — described by staff as the balance between the two approaches — and by foregoing additional step increases in April 2026. Cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA) will still be applied under the county's usual practice.
Proponents said the 15‑step chart accelerates employees toward top pay sooner and helps with recruitment and retention; some commissioners flagged the longer‑term fiscal effects if wages continue to accelerate faster than tax revenue. Commissioners asked staff to grandfather current longevity arrangements for existing employees and to consider new‑hire longevity timing going forward. The motion directed payroll to place each affected hourly employee on the nearest step on the new 15‑step schedule that is equal to or greater than their current wage so no employee loses pay as a result of the change.
Angie and payroll staff said they will apply the new chart and the 12¢ adjustment in the payroll system for the Jan. 30 paycheck and then process COLA when the official index is released. The board advised department heads to expect communication explaining how individual employees' placement on the new chart was calculated.
The board did not adopt changes to elected/appointed official compensation as part of this action; commissioners said any compression or special classification issues for those positions will be handled separately.
The adoption is the most substantial personnel action taken at the meeting and follows recommendations from an internal wage study recommending a move to a 15‑step progression.
