![]() ![]() While Utah, Davis, Weber and Washington counties have three-member commissions, Salt Lake and Summit have larger, part-time council members. The next largest county is Davis County with 362,679 residents. census, is second behind only Salt Lake County with a population of 1.18 million. Utah County’s population of 659,399, according to the 2020 U.S. “What I’m concerned about is the timing, of course, and the economics of the community and nation are not the best.”Įvery year, the county evaluates employee salaries and seeks to keep them at or around market rate, Barnes said, while pay for elected officeholders is pushed aside until it is “almost a crisis.” He added that equivalent pay is found by evaluating counties of similar size and scope including Salt Lake, Weber, Davis, Washington and Summit counties. “We didn’t come here for the pay, we came here to serve,” Sakievich said. Barnes told commissioners that average salaries increased another 15% in the county in 2022. “In this case, just because there’s been such a striking increase over the last year in a half with salaries across the county, elected officials have fallen significantly behind.”Īccording to the Department of Workforce Services, salaries in Utah County increased 5% in 2021. “Currently, they’re running about 20% less than the other counties that are comparable for the same offices and it’s not uncommon for Utah County to run behind because we’re very conservative in the way we approach compensation,” Barnes said. Pay for officials will increase by about 9% from $128,067 to approximately $139,421. “We did put in our budget this year to reevaluate every employee in the county, which is why this is being considered,” Powers Gardner said.Īccording to Ralf Barnes, director of human resources for Utah County, salary for elected officials can not be varied within a year or prorated. He also questioned if it could be altered so the elected official or appointed head of a department would receive a raise at the same time as the rest of their department. Sakievich asked that the raise discussion be delayed until after the county’s mid-year budget to ensure there are enough funds available. Commissioners Amelia Powers Gardner and Brandon Gordon voted for the measure while Tom Sakievich voted against it. Utah County Human Resources Director Ralf Barnes speaks during a Utah County Commission meeting in Provo on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.Īfter a brief discussion during its meeting Wednesday, the Utah County Commission voted 2-1 to increase salaries of elected officials in the county. Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner speaks during a meeting at the Utah County Administration Building in Provo on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner, right, listens while taking notes. Utah County Commissioner Tom Sakievich, left, speaks during a meeting at the Utah County Administration Building in Provo on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. ![]()
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