The 2025 budget adds 16 new county employees, five of them school resource officers. Public safety, which includes emergency medical services, makes up a third of the spending plan.
The county added $800,000 to its bottom line after renegotiating a mental health service contract with the University of Utah. In the previous agreement, the U said it was losing at least $1 million a year.
Planned revenues and expenditures will be balanced by a new 0.5% emergency services sales tax voters approved in November.
Councilmembers requested one change before unanimously approving the budget: a 3% one-time pay bump for elected officials, who previously only received a cost-of-living adjustment.
“Our treasurer, Corrie Forsling, sent an email earlier speaking to an oversight that happens where there are also elected officials that manage whole departments with people, staff, really important roles within the county,” Councilmember Canice Harte said Dec. 11. “Quite often, they don't receive the merit. They just receive the COLA.”
Other department heads like those over health, lands and planning, get up to a 3% pay bump every year depending on the county manager’s review of their performance.
The county manager doesn’t review the assessor, clerk, county attorney, sheriff and others because they’re independently elected, so they aren’t eligible for the up to 3% bump based on merit.
That will change in 2025. The council and other elected county officials will get a 3% cost-of-living increase and an additional 3% raise.
Executive pay can be a fraught conversation because elected officials are some of the only people who get to set their own salaries, and with taxpayer money.
The Kamas City Council is considering raises for public officials as well. As Councilmember David Darcey noted, it’s a balancing act between public service and services rendered.
“We could all make more money at McDonald's,” Darcey said Dec. 10. “But this is public service, and this is volunteering.”
Salaries are proposed at $1,000, $125 and $75 per month for the mayor, city council and planning commission. Kamas currently pays officials per meeting.
The city council decided to table the salary discussion until next year.
Part of the debate at all levels of government is the amount of compensation for elected officials limits who can run for office.
“There is a concern, because we want to make sure that within our county that it's not just people that are very wealthy or retired that can afford to be on council, that are able to pursue public office,” outgoing Summit County Council Chair Malena Stevens told KPCW. “So it's an ongoing conversation.”
Stevens said serving on the county council is considered a part-time position. However, she said the current council puts in far more than 20 hours per week on meetings, committee assignments and other responsibilities.
Councilmembers are paid about $57,000 per year, and department heads earn double or more, because they work full time.
