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Ottawa County to implement wage-study raises with $8,000 maximum starting Jan. 1, 2026
Summary
Commissioner Carla Grund said the county will implement the recently approved wage study beginning Jan. 1, 2026, placing employees on correct steps with a 2% COLA and a maximum individual raise cap of $8,000, with full implementation expected by year-end 2026.
Commissioner Carla Grund told residents during the public forum that the county will implement its approved wage study effective Jan. 1, 2026, with a per-employee raise cap of $8,000.
"what was approved is an $8,000.00 governor, meaning the intent is as of January 01, 2026 the wage study will be implemented with there is a maximum raise of $8,000.00," Grund said. She said employees will be placed on the correct step in the pay scale and receive a 2% cost-of-living adjustment unless that increase would exceed the $8,000 cap. Grund added that staff will move to the next pay step on their 2026 anniversary, so the board expects full implementation by the end of 2026.
Grund described the wage study as a standardization tool that compares positions across public and private sectors to set pay based on experience and responsibility. She said the study is intended to make pay equitable by giving each position a defined step on the scale and to build in routine cost-of-living adjustments.
The announcement came during the public forum after resident Brandon Copple asked how the study would be implemented. No formal motion or vote on implementation details was recorded at the meeting; the commissioners discussed the administrative timeline and cap during the exchange.
