Cole County commissioners review draft salary study that could cost roughly $1.4 million

Cole County commissioners on Tuesday reviewed a draft salary study that lays out multiple options to align county pay with market rates, and discussed timing and affordability as they work on the next budget.

County staff presented three core options and several equity-adjustment approaches that would move employees to roughly 95%, 97.5% or 100% of market pay. Commissioners were told that the 95% option would increase payroll costs by about $1.414 million countywide in the study's calculations, while a 97.5% option was cited at about $1.488 million; staff described the figures as draft estimates that require further review and spreadsheet validation.

Commissioners and department leaders focused on how to prioritize limited funds if the commission chooses to act. Several speakers suggested targeting the employees who are farthest below market or applying step-based equity adjustments tied to years of service rather than moving everyone to a single percentage immediately. Commissioners noted that some cost increases (for example, minimum-wage compliance for EMS) have already changed the county's baseline since the study began and that health insurance and retirement costs would increase if payroll grows.

Staff said no money was included in the current budget for a countywide adjustment and that any significant changes would likely be considered during the fiscal 2027 budget cycle. The county auditor and human-resources staff will verify roster data and produce updated spreadsheets to identify employees farthest from market and to test targeted scenarios.

Commissioners did not vote on a policy at Tuesday's meeting; staff emphasized the study is a draft and recommended further analysis before any formal proposal is submitted to the commission for a decision.