Commissioners debate 2% COLA recommendation as some call for 3%; minimum‑wage and pay‑scale effects raised

The commission spent substantial time on county salary policy during the budget review. The auditor’s recommended salary guidance included a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment; one commissioner urged a 3% adjustment, saying core inflation measures for 2025 were roughly 2.9–3.0% and that under‑indexing compounds over many years. Other commissioners cautioned about revenue constraints and said the pending salary study should guide larger structural changes.

Separately, commissioners and staff discussed the operational impact of a higher statutory minimum wage on 48‑hour shift scheduling, overtime calculations and pay‑scale compression in EMS and other shift‑work departments. Staff warned that some pay changes could require operational and scheduling changes, and suggested they will return with implementation options and cost estimates.