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Commissioners weigh Arnold Group wage study, estimate $240,000 initial cost for 2026 increases
Summary
Commissioner Carla Grund presented an Arnold Group wage study and proposed a package of salary adjustments (100% compression, 2% COLA, step progression), estimating $240,000 for COLA and initial adjustments and $50,000 for step increases; funding would use a $135,000 solid‑waste transfer and Employee Benefits Fund carryover to avoid tax increases.
Commissioner Carla Grund presented the Arnold Group wage study and a proposed compensation plan for 2026 that she said would address pay compression and add a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment along with step progressions on employees’ anniversary dates. She said implementing the changes on Jan. 1, 2026 would cost about $240,000 for COLA and initial wage adjustments and an additional $50,000 for step progression increases during 2026.
Grund outlined ancillary payroll costs tied to the proposal, saying the salary increases would create estimated increases of about $23,000 for FICA and $35,000 for KPERS and KP&F. To avoid raising taxes, she proposed funding the package using a $135,000 transfer from the Solid Waste Fund to the General Fund (a transfer she said would not be needed in 2026 because special assessments have made the Solid Waste Fund self‑sustaining) and the 2025 cash carryover in the Employee Benefits Fund. "If implemented January 01, 2026, the cost is estimated to be $240,000.00 for COLA and initial wage adjustments," Grund said during the meeting.
The commissioners agreed the next step is for Grund, County Treasurer JoDee Copple and County Clerk Tammi Cox to meet with department heads to review the initial study and the proposed increases before final budget decisions. The proposal remains a discussion item and no formal budget adoption occurred at the June 2 meeting.
