Community members filled the Uintah County Commission Chambers on Tuesday to give feedback on a proposal to increase pay for Uintah County elected officials and Executive County Officers. Commissioners John Laursen and Sonja Norton were present to gather the public input. Multiple community members emphasized that elected officials know the wage when they come into office and opposed them seeking and voting on their own raises. Several commenters emphasized that the supposed average income for a Uintah County household is $69,000 annually and that is typically for a two-income household. With that in mind, it was asked how raises can be justified for the Uintah County positions that are already higher as a single income than the average Uintah County household income. Former Uintah County Sheriff Jeff Merrell shared his perspective as one who has “seen it from both sides” and explained the need for Uintah County to be fair and equitable with all employees. One county employee spoke up, frustrated that the community members do not seem to appreciate the work being performed by county employees and elected officials. Once all comments were received, the Commissioners thanked the public for the feedback. Commissioner Laursen clarified that nothing has been decided and any raise will not cause taxes to go up. Commissioner Norton noted that she will personally not be accepting a raise while she is in office but she wants to look at the request with an open mind and listen to all information gathered before making a decision. Additional public feedback can be sent to uccommission@uintah.utah.gov.
