Pueblo County staff propose 2027 pay‑grade adjustments ahead of Colorado minimum wage increase

At the Sept. 1 OCC work session, Nick Anjaki, director of HR operations, urged commissioners to consider proposed 2027 pay‑grade adjustments now to avoid last‑minute payroll scrambling.

"So we know as of August 20 that minimum wage in Colorado is going up to $15.71, currently being at $15.16," Anjaki said, noting the county must comply with the new rate effective Jan. 1, 2027. He proposed adjusting grades 1 through 4 to preserve consistent differentials and rounding grades 5–18 for payroll simplicity while slightly reducing grades 19 and 20 to correct an atypical 12% differential.

Staff cited a compensation 'green circle' report (Aug. 26) estimating that bringing affected employees to the proposed new minima would affect 66 people at a net annual cost of just under $62,000 (roughly less than $1,000 per affected employee). Anjaki said that figure excludes hires or promotions that occur between now and Dec. 31 and that further reconciliation will be provided as the board moves toward a vote.

Commissioners asked technical questions about the percentage differentials between grades and expressed concern that pay compression and mid‑range impacts should be minimized. Anjaki said he focused initial changes on the lowest grades to limit disruption and that staff would update job descriptions and payroll systems (NEOGOV, Workday) ahead of implementation to avoid retroactive adjustments.