Commission weighs CPI-adjusted pay matrix to smooth future wage jumps

County staff at a work session on Wednesday recommended that the Big Horn County Board of Commissioners adopt an adjusted step-and-grade pay matrix that includes a 2.69% consumer-price-index adjustment.

"This is a list of the employees...this is supposed to be as impersonal as possible," said Mike, the county accountant leading the presentation, as he explained how current wages would be "snapped" onto either the original matrix or the adjusted matrix. He said the adjusted matrix will likely make the next formal update in spring smoother by reducing the size of any single-year jump when market data is refreshed.

Commissioners pressed staff on how the change would affect employees already at the top of a grade. Several noted that some full-time employees are "maxed" under either grid and discussed whether a separate cost-of-living (COLA) resolution should be added for those individuals.

After extended discussion of examples — including the airport manager and chief deputy county attorney — staff recommended the adjusted (2.69%) matrix as the better long-term approach. The board did not adopt a final resolution during the work session and asked staff to return on Thursday with corrected titles, verified longevity totals and a finalized spreadsheet so commissioners could vote with precise payroll impacts.