Larimer County commissioners’ June 17 meeting: support for 2027 employee pay plan leads compensation discussion

Larimer County commissioners spent much of their Wednesday, June 17, meeting focused on employee compensation, signaling support for a proposed 2027 pay approach and reviewing how county pay practices have shifted over time. Together, the updates pointed to a compensation package built around a 2% market adjustment and a 2% merit increase, while staff also described changes in how employees are distributed within salary ranges.

Commissioners backed a proposed 2027 pay plan for employees, giving budget staff direction to keep those assumptions in department budget planning. Human Resources staff said employees who meet expectations would ultimately see a 4% increase in base pay under the plan, while the budget impact is estimated at about 3% because merit increases would be awarded throughout the year.

Staff also told the board that the recommended 2027 compensation package carries a 3% salary impact and 3.7% with benefits. The recommendation uses the same “2 and 2” structure, with a 2% market adjustment at the start of the year and a 2% merit increase during the year.

In a related presentation, county HR said pay ranges now better reflect employee experience, with turnover down. Staff said a newly added pay-distribution analysis shows employees are now spread relatively evenly across salary-range quartiles, which they said reflects more consistent hiring based on experience and stronger retention of long-tenured workers.