Pondera County compensation board sets cap of up to 3.5% for elected-official pay increases

The Pondera County Compensation Board on a voice vote approved a recommendation that elected officials’ pay increases be capped “up to 3 and a half percent,” with the final amount to be determined when the county’s fiscal-year revenue picture is clearer.

Cody, who presented comparative salary and benefit data to the board, told members the county’s mill levy this past year was “about 22,000” and that the federal rate of inflation used for local COLA guidance was 2.9 percent for the last year. Cody said healthcare premiums and benefit structures are broadly similar across nearby counties the county compares itself to, and he provided a table showing options at 0–4 percent increases and what those would mean for monthly and annual pay for elected offices.

The recommendation approved by the board is a cap, not a guaranteed raise. Board members and county staff repeatedly emphasized that any increase remains contingent on the county’s final revenues and budget decisions: budgets are due by June 10, and the county generally does not receive final state tax-distribution numbers until late July or early August, staff said. A board member who spoke during the meeting said the cap gives the commissioners flexibility when they set final raises during budget adoption.

Discussion at the meeting ranged from comparisons with neighboring counties to concerns about key operating costs. Cody and other staff cited several budget pressures and revenue sources: a recently awarded $250,000 grant for the health department that will cover close to a full salary for one position, ongoing courthouse HVAC loan payments of about $35,000 per year, roughly $350,000 placed annually into capital improvement funds in recent years, FAA airport projects funded with several million dollars of federal grants (with approximately $50,000 left for a forthcoming county payment on an airport loop road), an entitlement-share distribution the county receives of about $961,000 a year, PILT (payment in lieu of taxes) receipts around $300,000 used to support roads, transit and airport projects, and roughly $180,000 a year in gas-tax receipts. Staff also said workers’ compensation costs have risen and that the county is considering cyber liability insurance at an estimated $35,000 a year.

Personnel matters factored into the discussion. The sheriff’s office requested an additional deputy position; county staff noted the department added a deputy a year ago and that a municipal contract with a town currently contributes roughly $70,000 annually toward public-safety staffing but is up for renewal June 30. Cody also reviewed statutory pay relationships that affect deputies (for example, deputies’ pay expressed as a percentage of the sheriff’s salary) and explained how longevity pay for sheriff’s deputies accumulates by years of service.

Board members referenced recent local increases and inflation trends during the discussion. Participants noted the county’s increases in recent years (examples cited during the meeting included a 4.5 percent increase last year and larger increases in earlier years) and that other counties’ compensation boards were proposing increases ranging roughly 2–4 percent. The Montana Association of Counties’ recently proposed 4 percent guideline for its staff was also mentioned.

After brief discussion about setting a cap versus a guaranteed floor and the fiscal trade-offs of larger one-time increases, a board member moved to recommend an “up to 3.5 percent” cap and another member seconded the motion. The body called for ayes; the record shows multiple ayes and the motion carried.

The compensation board’s action is advisory; the county commissioners will set final raises when adopting the budget later this summer, after revenues and grant cycles are finalized. County staff told members they are available to provide detailed budget reports to board members and taxpayers who request them.

Looking ahead, staff said they will continue monitoring grant awards to the health department, the sheriff’s staffing needs and the status of the municipal public-safety contract as the county finalizes budget transfers and capital funding decisions after May and as state revenue numbers arrive in July and August.