Date: 01/19/2010
Final
Briefing by the County Salary Commission
COMMITTEE ON JOINT LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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02:51 PM -- Briefing by the County Elected Officials' Salary Commission
Linda Romer Todd, Chair, County Elected Officials' Salary Commission, introduced herself and the members of the commission. The membership of the salary commission includes: Robert Fowler, Coroner; Warren Ward, Surveyor; Dee Ann Stults, Treasurer; Susan Good, County Member; Joelle Riddle, County Commissioner; Gil Reyes, Assessor; Joseph Pelle, Sheriff; Teak Simonton, Clerk and Recorder; Thomas Davidson, County Commissioner; Bruce Eisenhauer, Executive Director, Department of Local Affairs; and Rich Seymour and Linda Romer Todd, General Public Members.
Ms. Todd discussed the charge of the County Elected Officials' Salary Commission, and members of the committee received a copy of the commission's report (Attachment C). She explained that Article XIV, Section 15 of the Colorado Constitution requires the General Assembly to fix the compensation of elected county officers in this state including commissioner, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, clerk and recorder, coroner, and elected surveyor. Senate Bill 05-188 created the authorizing legislation in Section 30-3-101, C.R.S., to guide the salary commission. Senate Bill 05-188 established an independent commission charged to make recommendations every four years to the General Assembly concerning the equitable and proper salaries to be paid to county elected officials. Pursuant to state law, the salary commission studied the salaries paid to county elected officials while taking the following into account:
• the responsibilities of each county elected official and the scope of authority of the entity in which the official serves;
• the relative level of difficulty in performing the duties of each county elected official;
• the amount of time directly or indirectly related to the performance of the duties, functions, and services of each county elected official; and
• the current levels of salaries for comparable employment in other places of public and private employment in competitive labor markets.
Ms. Todd explained why setting county salaries at the state level is a good policy, and talked about the recommendation by commission. The commission first recommended legislation to adjust the salaries of county elected officials by 5 percent, and the second recommendation to change the authorizing legislation for the commission.
02:55 PM
Sheriff Pelle explained how the commission considered specific factors when fixing the compensation of county officers including: population; the number of persons residing in unincorporated areas; assessed valuation; motor vehicle registrations; building permits; military installations; tax resources; and other factors necessary to prepare compensation schedules that reflect variations in the workloads and responsibilities of county officers. Sheriff Pelle discussed comparisons between county officials and municipal officials and a large disparity between the two types of public officials.
03:00 PM
Clerk and Recorder Teak Simonton discussed the data collected by the commission, which indicated a trend in county salary increases of between 5 to 10 percent for nonelected employees over the last four years. She discussed the need for salaries of elected officials to follow the trend of non-elected employees and discussed deputy employees making more than the elected official in each respective office. She addressed questions concerning the commission's recommendations and talked about other options that were considered by the commission to produce a fair recommendation.
03:07 PM
Sheriff Pelle addressed questions concerning the history of sheriff salaries compared to municipal police chiefs, and the salaries of county commissioners.
03:11 PM
Ms. Todd discussed the current authorizing legislation and the commission's recommended legislative changes to improve the process of setting the salaries of county elected officials. She also explained the commission's recommendation for needed changes in law concerning county surveyors. Clerk and Recorder Simonton discussed other changes recommended by the committee, especially the need to present recommendations to the General Assembly during odd-numbered years.
03:16 PM
Commissioner Thomas Davidson discussed the minority report within the commission's report. Mr. Davidson discussed reasons why salary increases should not be implemented during the 2010 legislative session and explained that small increases would be easier to implement every two to four years, rather than larger increases every four to eight years.
03:21 PM
Bruce Eisenhauer, Deputy Director, DOLA, responded to the question from the committee concerning the process that the commission went through to reach its recommendations and the role of the department to assist the salary commission.
03:24 PM
Ms. Todd, addressed questions concerning the requirement for the salary commission to report to the General Assembly and the changes recommended by the commission. She explained that any salary increases recommended by the commission would not take effect until January 2011. Committee discussion ensued concerning the process for introducing the commission's recommendations during the 2010 session.
03:39 PM
The committee members made closing comments addressed to the salary commission, and the committee adjourned.