GREELEY — The Weld County Council this week decided to keep the pay raises previously approved for Weld’s elected officials — except for county commissioners.
The commissioners will get a smaller bump in pay.
County commissioners who take office in 2017 will be paid $105,000, a 17 percent increase over their current salary. The original plan called for a 37.5 percent hike.
The council voted unanimously in favor of the new $140,000 salary for sheriff and 4-1 to keep higher salaries for clerk and recorder ($102,500) and assessor ($110,000).
The sheriff, clerk and assessor’s raises will become effective in January. The commissioners’ raise will become effective January 2017.
Council members Bernard Kinnick and Donald Mueller repeatedly tried to lower all of the new salaries except the sheriff’s, but they did not have support from the other three members.
It was the third council meeting in a month to take up an issue that has sparked public debate over not just the salaries but conflict-of-interest concerns with the council’s president, Marge Klein, and the expense accounts of the commissioners.
When it came time to discuss the commissioners’ new pay, there were several amendments proposed to the original $120,000 that ranged from $96,300 to $110,000. However, none of those proposed changes could get to a full vote because none of the motions could get a second. Finally, Brett Abernathy offered up the $105,000 amount and Jeff Hare said he would second reluctantly.
The Weld County Council was created in the Weld County Charter in the 1970s to act as a watchdog over the Board of Weld County Commissioners. It is also charged with setting the salaries of commissioners and other elected officials. Council members are unpaid elected positions.
