Personnel Services Director Tess Barger told the Grand County Budget Advisory Board on Oct. 31 that her office had received five new position requests and seven reclassification requests to be considered for the 2026 budget. She emphasized these are proposals to be prioritized by the County Commission and that they are not yet included in the tentative budget.

Barger highlighted a mix of discretionary and mandatory requests. "It is mandated that by the state that we do provide victim services," she said when explaining a county need to fill a victim‑advocate gap after Moab City Police declined to renew a memorandum of understanding. To meet that mandate, the County Attorney's Office requested a part‑time victim advocate at roughly 24 hours per week with an estimated salary near $37,000; the position would serve the attorney's office, sheriff's office and the criminal justice center.

Other new position requests included a maintenance technician for the Old Spanish Trail Arena (OSTA) to address sustained event schedules and overtime overruns. Barger said OSTA is a 65‑acre site with public access and weekend bookings from late February to mid‑July and again September to mid‑November; the facility has already exceeded its 2025 overtime budget (noted at roughly $15,500 when the review was prepared). The board discussed that some overtime appears tied to an unfilled backfill maintenance post.

The presentation also listed a part‑time film commission assistant (25 hours/week) to support the Moab–Monument Valley Film Commission and create cross‑training and succession capacity for a program currently staffed by a single person. Board members suggested postponing hiring until the Moab Office of Tourism has an incoming director so that the new director can structure the team.

For the Noxious Weeds/fuels‑reduction program, the county proposed a full‑time fuels reduction technician (salary reimbursed by a Communitywide and Fire Defense CWBG grant through 2029) and up to four seasonal fuels‑reduction technicians paid by the same grant for wages while the county would cover benefits, payroll taxes and workers' compensation. Barger estimated the county cost for seasonal benefits at up to about $8,000.

On reclassifications, Barger flagged several items for board attention and clarification. She cited "state code, 17 53 1 0 1" while explaining a clerk/auditor request: because the county's taxable value now exceeds the statutory threshold that previously allowed the county clerk to act as ex officio auditor without separate compensation, the clerk‑auditor office requested a compensation adjustment estimated at $8,514. The Canyonlands Regional Airport requested reclassification of an operations lead to operations manager to meet an FAA requirement by Dec. 31, 2025; that reclassification was estimated to cost about $13,000 and Barger described it as effectively mandatory under federal guidance. Airport staff also proposed converting a part‑time administrative assistant (20–25 hrs/wk) to full time to handle increased billing, lease administration and passenger facility charge (PFC) revenue work, with discussion focused on ACA thresholds (30 hrs) and the difference in total compensation if the position became full‑time.

Elected‑official compensation was discussed at length. Barger presented a methodology used previously to compare elected salaries across Utah counties; using that approach the treasurer's position was shown near a $110,000 average with a modest $2,000 salary adjustment under consideration. Commissioners emphasized that any across‑the‑board adjustments for elected officials should be handled separately (and that commissioners themselves should be separated from other elected‑official votes).

Board members and department directors raised broader personnel issues: several department heads and elected officials described long hours and limits of the current 24‑hour comp/flex bank for exempt staff. Barger proposed standardizing exempt classifications (executive, administrative and professional categories) to ensure comparable positions are treated consistently and noted the county will work with the county attorney to align exempt status determinations and handbook language. She also described options for employees who have "topped out" on the steps chart, including one‑time anniversary bonuses (1–3%) instead of increasing base pay that would affect retirement contributions.

Barger closed by presenting the county's pay‑plan structure (30 grades and 15 steps) and recommending use of the Social Security Administration's recently announced 2.8% COLA for 2026 as the baseline cost‑of‑living adjustment proposal. She asked commissioners for feedback on prioritization and said the requests would be refined before the commission's budget workshops.

Ending: The board did not take formal action on individual personnel items at this meeting; the personnel proposals will be forwarded with the tentative budget materials to the County Commission for prioritization and further review.