Albany County hearings spotlight deputy pay gap as commissioners weigh raises and a salary study

Lieutenant Houston and other members of the county sheriff’s office told the Albany County Commission at a June 2026 budget workshop that sworn deputies earn substantially less than comparable city and state agencies, and urged targeted raises to improve retention.

Lieutenant Houston, who identified himself as a member of the sheriff’s office, said deputies currently make “approximately $12,000 to $20,000 less per year” than officers at the Laramie Police Department, the University of Wyoming Police and Wyoming Highway Patrol. He said starting deputy pay is about $52,000 but that pay progression leaves experienced deputies far behind peers at nearby agencies, undermining retention and increasing overtime and training costs for the county.

The nut graf: Commissioners spent most of the workshop weighing how to fund pay adjustments — several raise scenarios were discussed, including modest, across‑the‑board increases and larger, targeted increases for sworn law enforcement and road and bridge staff — and whether to hire an outside consultant to produce a salary study to guide long‑term pay decisions.

Amanda, the county staff member who maintains the payroll worksheets, presented cost estimates to the commission: she said a 20% increase for law enforcement would total $558,825; the transcript did not clearly record the staff’s 17% figure. Commissioners discussed multiple mixes (examples raised in the meeting included 5% for regular employees and higher percentages for certain groups) and staff explained those scenarios’ effects on the salary reserve and the general fund. Amanda told the commission that a proposal of 5% for regular employees, 10% for road and bridge and 17% for sworn deputies had been modeled and that the combined scenario would change the county’s surplus and draw down the salary reserve; staff committed to circulate updated spreadsheets.

Several sworn deputies provided brief, direct testimony about job conditions. Sergeant Aaron Gigas, who identified himself as a sergeant with Albany County, described recent operational tempo — “three deaths in one shift” — and said experienced deputies often face a pay gap that makes remaining with the county financially difficult: “For me to finish off five more years … I won’t even make $40,000 at my 20 years,” he said. Both deputies framed the ask as public‑safety and retention priorities rather than a departmental preference.

Commission responses ranged from sympathy to caution. Commissioners and staff repeatedly emphasized budget constraints and revenue uncertainty: staff noted the county’s cash‑on‑hand assumptions and how cuts to state or local aid could change the available balance. The commission discussed a proposed external salary study, with staff and commissioners giving a $30,000–$75,000 range for consultant cost and citing Nona County’s roughly $64,864 contract as a reference point; staff proposed budgeting $50,000 in the HR budget for the study.

No formal vote was taken at the workshop. Staff said they would update and circulate the spreadsheets with the modeled scenarios and cost figures and that the proposed budget distributed to the paper would reflect the commissioners’ direction. The commission did not commit to final percentages at the workshop; members said a salary study and additional data would guide any final decision.

Ending: Staff committed to supply the corrected worksheets and return with clearer totals; the commission directed staff to budget for and investigate a salary study and to reconvene these numbers as part of the proposed budget process.