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Grand Forks County commissioners debate steps vs. COLA and program cuts as budget modeling begins
Summary
Commissioners discussed compensation policy, proposing a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment and debating step increases, step‑cap changes and potential program or FTE cuts; staff were directed to produce multiple scenarios for the July and August work sessions.
Michelle Steele, speaking for county staff, presented compensation metrics and recommended a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment and a step for all qualified employees as a starting point for 2027 budgeting.
"So my recommendation for you to consider … I would recommend that we do a step for all qualified employees, and I would recommend that we look at a 3% COLA," Steele said, citing Midwest Consumer Price Index figures she pulled on July 10 (5% all items; 3.7% excluding food and energy).
Commissioners raised a range of options for how to allocate increases. Several favored steps (across‑the‑scale increases) over a flat COLA to avoid compression; others proposed freezing step progression while giving a COLA to non‑step employees. One commissioner urged staff to run scenarios that would lower the county share of single coverage to 80% and family coverage to 75% and to model partial HRA reductions so the county could still afford base wage increases.
Commissioner Mark asked why the pay scale ends at step 13 and whether the board should consider adding steps or moving to wage bands. Steele said the step cap was the result of past salary studies and that revamping the pay scale would be "a total revamp" requiring research and would likely not be completed before the end of the current budgeting cycle.
Board members also discussed potential cuts and reorganization as part of a larger budget response. Suggestions included freezing longevity pay, eliminating positions or reducing travel and special levies by a modeled 30% for initial planning. An employee‑association representative warned that repeated benefit cuts risked losing staff and urged the board to consider revenue options such as a county sales tax to offset cuts.
Staff told commissioners they will compile the valuation information and populate modeling worksheets for the next three budget work sessions (July 21, July 28 and Aug. 4), including worst‑case scenarios (20% health‑cost increase) and multiple contribution and compensation permutations.
The meeting closed with a motion to adjourn.
