Commission Passes Pay Ladder For Employees

In an effort to bring more consistency to salaries, the county commission on July 15 passed a pay ladder that establishes starting pay and cost-of-living increases for employees up through 36 years of service.

Presiding Commissioner Leo Sanders said the pay ladder was needed since so many new hires and employees were being paid wildly different amounts.

“A lot of work and a lot of thought was put into this,” Sanders said, adding that it was based on a similar system to school districts.

One pay ladder has been set up for general revenue employees and another for sheriff’s department employees.

The steps are based on an employee’s education and experience in the field. 

Passing the pay ladder will increase salaries by $143,000, but County Clerk John Martin said they still remain under budget.

Martin said the county was able to do this now because $100,000 was saved on health insurance $30,000 was saved from workman’s comp.

Sanders told officials that the pay ladder was sustainable as long as the half-cent sales tax increase remains in place.

“If it doesn’t pass in the future, we may have to take a look at this,” he said.

The tax is scheduled to run through 2023.

Sheriff Darin Layman and Major Adam Carnal told commissioners that by establishing pay grades, they know what they can offer to prospective employees and when they can expect raises. They said they are hopeful this will keep more deputies in the fold.