About Moffat County employee pay raises next year, only one thing is certain.

There will be a pay raise, and it most likely will be a cost of living raise, the Moffat County commissioners said.

But they can't commit to the percentage of the raise, nor can they say whether a performance raise will be forthcoming.

"What is becoming increasingly evident is demands are going to go up. But we have to have an adequate raise ... and everything else will be secondary," Commissioner Les Hampton said.

The commissioners budgeted $330,000 for salary raises, and that will include fringe benefits, said Lynette Running, Human Resources Department director.

The cost of living raise will average between 2 percent and 3 percent, Runnning said. County employees received a 3.1 percent cost-of-living raise in Jan. 2003.

After the cost-of-living raise, the county will focus on following the pay raise plan it adopted several years ago. New employees are paid the minimum amount for their employment grade. Each year they are moved up 5 percent until they reach the midpoint.

But the county's budget problems meant everyone couldn't be moved up last year. Running said 30 to 35 people have fallen below their minimum pay grade, but the majority of new county employees are at 95 percent of their midpoint.

Undersheriff Jerry Hoberg and Sheriff Buddy Grinstead attended the commissioner meeting to show support for Sheriff's Office employees. Hoberg advocated paying employees a performance raise to bring them in line with their employment grade, rather than give everyone a cost of living raise.

But commissioners Darryl Steele and Hampton said they couldn't do that and ignore other employees who are ineligible for the employment grade raise.

Rob Gebhart can be reached at 824-7031 or rgebhart@craigdailypress.com.