SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners tabled a resolution to provide a 3 percent cost-of-living allocation to core county employees, opting to see how final budget discussions would impact the 2025-2026 budget.

The resolution would not impact employees of “satellite” county organizations like the Sweetwater County Library System, nor would elected county officials see an increase in their salaries through the resolution.

“I think this one is a little bit premature,” Commissioner Island Richards said Tuesday. “ I think we would be better served to table this until we have actually adopted our budget and then take guidance from the budget we finally adopt.”

Richards argued that approving the resolution before the budget would result in the commissioners approving a wage increase for July without knowing how the budget will look.  

Commissioner Robb Slaughter agreed with Richards, stating that he assumed the commissioners would have the final budget discussions later in the afternoon and finalize the cost-of-living adjustment afterward. 

While the initiative was unanimously tabled, Commissioner Keaton West said he thinks the commissioners agree the 3% pay increase will probably remain, but they need to approve the budget first.