GREELEY, Colo. — Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams could have something in common with the Regional Transportation District police chief soon.
He, like RTD Chief Joel Fitzgerald, could soon make $250,000 a year. That’s if a new proposal before the non-partisan Weld County Council to increase elected officials’ salaries in the county passes next month.
Typically, county official salaries are dictated by state law.
“County officials have their salaries addressed by the general assembly because the state constitution requires it,” said Gini Pingenot, who runs external affairs for Colorado Counties, Inc, an association which lobbies for counties at the state legislature.
The state constitution sets rates for all elected officials based on the county’s size. For example, the sheriffs of Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties all make $153,332 a year.
“Counties are an administrative arm of the state, meaning we provide the services that constituents expect from state government we are the front door of state services, so to speak,” Pingenot said.
County government is tasked with licensing vehicles, running elections, and enforcing state health laws, for example.
Weld County is a tad different. In the 1970s, according to Weld County Attorney Bruce Barker, the county voted to declare itself a home rule county, meaning a charter drafted by citizens would determine the structure of county government.
There was some dissatisfaction with the fact that there were only 3 count commissioners,” Barker said.
Statutory counties without home rule have since been allowed to add more county commissioners, he said, but at the time it was the point of contention that drove Weld County to establish its own structure under home rule.
The home rule charter, drafted by citizens in the county, created the Weld County Council, a body of elected citizens who make decisions about the structure of county governments. One of their duties is to set the salaries for county officials.
They’ve proposed the following changes for elected leaders, some starting next year:
Position Current Salary Proposed Salary 2023-2026
Clerk and Recorder $120,000 $185,000
Assessor $120,000 $175,000
Commissioners $105,000 (through 2024) $160,000 (years 2025-26)
Sheriff $160,000 $250,000
The council will vote on the proposed changes in mid September.