Bill lowering Dolores County officials’ pay advances in legislature

Dolores County’s top elected offices would see lower pay under SB26-092, a bill that would reset county salary categories and shrink the compensation tied to the commissioner, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, clerk and coroner. For a county of 2,326 people centered in Dove Creek, the change would mean lower payroll costs, but also smaller paychecks for the offices residents rely on for law enforcement, records, taxes and emergency response.

The bill, titled Modification of County Elected Officer Salary Categories, moves Dolores County from category V-C to V-D. Under the new schedule, the county commissioner’s salary would fall from $67,360 to $61,236. The sheriff’s salary would drop from $75,511 to $68,646. The treasurer, assessor and clerk would also move from $67,360 to $61,236, and the part-time coroner would go from $15,225 to $13,841.

Those figures matter because the legislation does not change county pay across the board. It affects the statutory salaries for elected officers, not the wages of deputies, road crews or other day-to-day county staff. The General Assembly says those salary amounts are adjusted every two years for inflation, and any change would apply to terms that begin after the new category takes effect.

The contrast with Pitkin County is sharp. The bill would move Pitkin from category II-B to I-A, and because Pitkin is a home rule county with its own charter structure, it can set compensation for officers and employees within statutory limits. Under the new category, the Pitkin County commissioner salary would rise from $121,634 to $158,669. The sheriff would go from $147,135 to $201,926. The treasurer, assessor and clerk would rise from $121,634 to $158,669, and the full-time coroner would also move to $158,669.

SB26-092 advanced after a March 5 hearing in the Senate Local Government & Housing Committee, where Eric Stiasny testified in support on behalf of the Dolores County Board of County Commissioners. Sen. Cleave Simpson introduced the measure, with Reps. Larry Don Suckla and Elizabeth Velasco listed as prime sponsors. The Senate committee voted 7-0 to send it forward, and the House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee later voted April 14 to refer it to the Committee of the Whole.

If the measure becomes law without a safety clause and the legislature adjourns May 13, the change would take effect August 12. For Dolores County, the debate now comes down to a basic public-service question: whether lower pay for elected officers is a prudent savings or a new obstacle to recruiting and keeping the people who keep county government running.