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SB26-092 • 2026

Modification of County Elected Officer Salary Categories

Current law categorizes each county for purposes of establishing the salaries of elected officers in the county. The statutory salary amounts are adjusted every 2 years for inflation and take effect f

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Sen. C. Simpson, Rep. L. Suckla, Rep. E. Velasco, Sen. S. Bright, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Sen. R. Rodriguez, Sen. M. Snyder, Sen. K. Wallace
Last action
2026-03-11
Official status
Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation, Housing & Local Government
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's impact on Pitkin County is uncertain as it may set its own compensation independently of the state categorization.

Modification of County Elected Officer Salary Categories

This bill changes the salary categories for Dolores and Pitkin counties, affecting the salaries of elected officers in these counties.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the category of Dolores County from V-C to V-D.
  • Changes the category of Pitkin County from II-B to I-A.
  • Decreases salaries for county commissioners, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, clerk, and part-time coroner in Dolores County.
  • May increase salaries for county commissioners, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, clerk, and full-time coroner in Pitkin County.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Elected officials in Dolores County will see a decrease in their salaries.
  • Pitkin County elected officials may receive higher salaries if the county does not set its own compensation.

Terms To Know

Category
A classification used to determine salary levels for county elected officers based on factors like population and economic conditions.
Home Rule County
A county that has certain powers to govern itself independently of state laws, allowing it to set its own compensation for officials.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill's effectiveness is contingent upon the absence of a referendum petition or approval by voters if such a petition is filed.
  • Pitkin County may not be affected as it can set its own officer salaries independently.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.002

HOU Transportation, Housing & Local Government

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment adds new categories for Colorado counties, specifically defining certain counties as either Category I-A or II-B.

  • Adds a new section to define specific counties into two new salary categories: Category I-A and Category II-B.
  • Lists Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pitkin, Pueblo, Routt, Summit, and Weld as Category I-A counties.
  • Designates Fremont and Pitkin counties as Category II-B counties.
  • The amendment text does not specify how these new categories will affect the salaries of elected officers in these counties.
L.003

HOU Transportation, Housing & Local Government

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment modifies the categories for certain Colorado counties to establish salary levels for elected officers by adding new subcategories IV-A and IV-B.

  • Adds a new Category IV-A consisting of Custer, Lake, and Prowers counties.
  • Adds a new Category IV-B consisting of Kit Carson, Lake, and Washington counties.
  • The amendment does not specify how the salary levels for these new categories will be determined or adjusted.
L.005

HOU Transportation, Housing & Local Government

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the way certain counties are categorized for salary adjustments of elected officers.

  • Removes 'COUNTY' and replaces it with 'counties' in a specific section of the bill.
  • Replaces 'CHEYENNE;' with 'Bent and Dolores CHEYENNE;' to include additional county names.
  • Changes 'county COUNTIES' to 'county'.
  • Modifies 'Cheyenne AND' to 'Cheyenne', removing the word 'AND'.
  • The exact impact of these changes on how counties are categorized and salary adjustments is not fully explained in the provided amendment text.
L.001

SEN Local Government & Housing

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment simplifies the categories used to determine county elected officer salaries by removing certain specific salary adjustments and eliminating some text from the bill.

  • Removes references to multiple salary adjustment clauses, keeping only one: (1.5)(a)(V)(C).
  • Deletes lines 9 through 13 on page 2 of the printed bill.
  • The exact content and implications of the deleted text are not provided in the amendment details.
  • It is unclear what specific salary adjustments were removed beyond the clause (1.5)(a)(V)(C).

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-11 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation, Housing & Local Government

  2. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  3. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee

  4. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Senate Committee on Local Government & Housing Refer Amended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole

  5. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Local Government & Housing

Official Summary Text

Current law categorizes each county for purposes of establishing the salaries of elected officers in the county. The statutory salary amounts are adjusted every 2 years for inflation and take effect for terms commencing after any change is made.
The bill changes the category of Dolores County from category V-C to category V-D.
and changes the category of Pitkin County from category II-B to category I-A.
The category
changes

change
will decrease Dolores County official salaries as follows:
County commissioner salary decreases from $67,360 to $61,236;
County sheriff salary decreases from $75,511 to $68,646;
County treasurer, assessor, and clerk salary decreases from $67,360 to $61,236; and
Part-time county coroner salary decreases from $15,225 to $13,841.

Pitkin County is a home rule county that may set the compensation for its officers and employees. The category changes may increase Pitkin County official salaries as follows:
County commissioner salary increases from $121,634 to $158,669;
County sheriff salary increases from $147,135 to $201,926;
County treasurer, assessor, and clerk salary increases from $121,634 to $158,669; and
Full-time county coroner salary increases from $121,634 to $158,669.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0729.01 Stephanie Schrab x4330 SENATE BILL 26-092
Senate Committees House Committees
Local Government & Housing
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE MODIFICATION OF THE SALARY CATEGORIZATION OF101
LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICERS IN SPECIFIED COUNTIES.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
Current law categorizes each county for purposes of establishing
the salaries of elected officers in the county. The statutory salary amounts
are adjusted every 2 years for inflation and take effect for terms
commencing after any change is made.
The bill changes the category of Dolores County from category
V-C to category V-D and changes the category of Pitkin County from
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 11, 2026
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 10, 2026
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Simpson, Bright, Coleman, Cutter, Gonzales J., Kirkmeyer, Rodriguez, Snyder, Wallace
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Suckla and Velasco,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
category II-B to category I-A. The category changes will decrease
Dolores County official salaries as follows:
! County commissioner salary decreases from $67,360 to
$61,236;
! County sheriff salary decreases from $75,511 to $68,646;
! County treasurer, assessor, and clerk salary decreases from
$67,360 to $61,236; and
! Part-time county coroner salary decreases from $15,225 to
$13,841.
Pitkin County is a home rule county that may set the compensation
for its officers and employees. The category changes may increase Pitkin
County official salaries as follows:
! County commissioner salary increases from $121,634 to
$158,669;
! County sheriff salary increases from $147,135 to $201,926;
! County treasurer, assessor, and clerk salary increases from
$121,634 to $158,669; and
! Full-time county coroner salary increases from $121,634 to
$158,669.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 30-2-102, amend2
(1.5)(a)(V)(C) and (1.5)(a)(V)(D) as follows:3
30-2-102. Categorization of counties for fixing salaries of4
county officers - salary amounts - legislative declaration. 5
(1.5) (a) For the purpose of establishing the salaries of county6
officers whose terms of office begin on or after January 1, 2016:7
8
(V) (C) Category V-C counties consist of the counties COUNTY of9
Bent; and Dolores;10
(D) Category V-D counties consist of the county COUNTIES of11
Cheyenne AND DOLORES.12
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act13
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the14
092-2-
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August1
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a2
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the3
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act4
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect5
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in6
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the7
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.8
092-3-