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Commissioner proposes 0% pay raise, boosts contingency and trims court‑appointed attorney budget
Summary
Commissioner Gable walked the board through proposed 2027 budget priorities — a proposed 0% pay increase for commissioners, higher contingency funding, and a $100,000 reduction in the court‑appointed attorney line tied to a new public‑defender assistant position — prompting questions about publishing ordinances online and insurance costs.
Commissioner Gable led a multi‑item review of proposed changes to the draft 2027 budget, urging a conservative approach to commissioner pay and adjustments to contingency and court‑appointed counsel funding.
"I'm proposing that we we 0% pay raise," Gable said, recommending commissioners maintain their current pay. He also proposed increasing the commissioner's contingency by $20,000 to handle unpredictable needs and suggested budgeting $100,000 less for the court‑appointed attorney line in anticipation that a newly created public‑defender assistant position will lower outside counsel costs.
Commissioner Jones and other commissioners asked for clarifications about increases in employer dental insurance, publishing costs and ADP/IT fees. Commissioners debated whether to budget for placing county ordinances online: Gable argued that online posting promotes transparency if someone is assigned to maintain and update the ordinances, while others worried about maintenance requirements and suggested publishing PDFs that preserve redlines.
Board members agreed to continue refining the draft budget ahead of the formal budget hearings in September; several commissioners said they want more visibility into the court appointments expense after staffing changes.
