Utah County officials warn labor‑market pressures could raise county payroll by millions

Ralph Barnes, Human Resources Director, told the Utah County Board of Commissioners that an aggressive labor market and local cost‑of‑living pressures have pushed the county’s planned market adjustments well above expectations. "We set aside or planned on, you know, 3,200,000 which is about 4.3% of wages," Barnes said, adding that "we've spent about 4,700,000 and we're on track to hit about 6,000,000 if we continue on."

Barnes said the county faces an unusually tight labor market, citing an unemployment rate he placed at 1.9% and more than 4,000 open jobs across Utah County. Those conditions have made recruiting difficult and increased turnover. "We cannot survive without people at Utah County," Barnes said, arguing the county must target pay increases to jobs that fall below the public‑sector market midpoint rather than across the board. He also noted total compensation factors — including generous retirement and time‑off packages — commonly complicate direct wage comparisons with private employers.

The HR presentation traced wage spending from roughly $56 million in 2018 to a projected base of about $77 million in 2023 and explained that planned market adjustments for 2022 were set at roughly $3.2 million before the unexpected inflationary spike. Barnes told commissioners that law enforcement pay increases already appear to be reducing vacancies in the sheriff's office and corrections: "We did raise law enforcement significantly... and there really has been significant movement," he said.

Commissioners asked how the county's hiring challenges compared with the private sector and whether projected increases have been coordinated with the auditor's budget office. Barnes said HR is working closely with the budget office to build updated wage projections into the county’s budget and that the county may need to begin making further adjustments as the year progresses.

What happens next: Barnes said HR will continue the phased market adjustments and work with the budget office to identify funding sources; commissioners may review further budget adjustments as part of the 2023 base budget process.