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Rich County adopts 2026 budget, raises starting wage and approves benefits plan
Summary
Rich County commissioners unanimously adopted a $13,059,455 General Fund budget and a $1,350,000 sanitation budget for 2026, approved a $3-per-hour cost-of-living increase (raising the minimum starting wage to $22.50), and contracted with Intermountain Insurance Services for employee benefits.
Rich County commissioners voted unanimously on Dec. 10 to adopt the countyGeneral Fund budget for 2026 of $13,059,455 and a separate sanitation budget of $1,350,000. Commissioner Jonathan B. Lee made the motion to adopt the budgets and set tax rates; Commissioner William E. Cox seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
The board also approved compensation and benefits changes for 2026. Commissioners adopted a cost-of-living wage increase of $3 per hour for part-time and full-time employees, including elected officials, and raised the minimum starting wage from $21 to $22.50 per hour. The commission voted to contract with Intermountain Insurance Services for employee benefits, selecting SelectHealth for medical coverage, Delta Dental for dental and vision, and Hartford for life insurance. Separately, the commission agreed Rich County will pay 100% of the Utah Retirement rates for 2026.
Commissioners said the budget and benefit package were part of a broader effort to respond to recruitment and retention pressures and to reflect salary-survey market adjustments. The board adopted the following tax-rate components for 2025-26: General Operations .000469; Multi-County Assessing and Collecting .000014; Local Assessing and Collecting .000191. The motions were all approved with unanimous votes by Chairman Simeon B. Weston and Commissioners William E. Cox and Jonathan B. Lee.
The county directed the Clerk to make necessary department line-item adjustments within the 2025 budget as needed. The budget adoption follows a public hearing held Dec. 10 during which resident Dan Larson asked questions about tax rates and county services and commissioners explained property-tax mechanisms and department funding.
