Ramsey County commissioners approve hold‑harmless protections and new 20‑step salary model, send COLA options to preliminary budget

Ramsey County commissioners voted in a special session to protect employees’ current base pay while moving the county from a 25‑step to a 20‑step salary model and to present multiple cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) options to department heads for the 2027 preliminary budget.

Nicole, the county HR consultant who led the presentation, told commissioners the hold‑harmless model would prevent reductions in base pay if a job’s updated placement falls below an employee’s current pay: "No 1 would go backwards," she said, describing the intent to protect current employees while correcting structural inconsistencies. Commissioners then moved and approved the hold‑harmless motion.

On the structure change, Nicole said the proposed model uses 1.5% spacing between steps and an 8% aging adjustment to align the county’s pay ranges with market values. The commission approved a motion to adopt the 20‑step design with the aging adjustment after discussion of how the change affects entry steps and long‑tenured employees.

Commissioners also directed staff to provide a set of COLA scenarios to department heads before the August preliminary deadline; the commission approved a three‑option package to be used in budget modeling. Chair summarized the operational next step: HR will produce revised charts and a short internal‑equity cost estimate, and those materials will be distributed to department heads so department budgets can be completed.

The decisions mark a structural shift in how Ramsey County will set pay ranges and model annual increases. Staff will return more detailed costing and implementation guidance as they finalize the models for the 2027 budget cycle.