CACHE COUNTY – As part of their contribution to budget cutting for 2026, the members of the Cache County Council turned thumps down on a proposed pay increase for themselves.
But the vote, which occurred during a regular council meeting on Dec. 2, was far from unanimous.
As outlined in Ordinance 2025-36, the proposed pay hike would have raised council members’ salaries from $24,000 per year to $36,000 and hiked the salary of the council chair from $30,000 to $43,200.
That measure was supported by council chair Sandi Goodlander and council members Barbara Tidwell and Kathryn Beus, but they were out-voted by the male members of the council by a 4-to-3 margin.
The council members had been avoiding the issue since late September when it was first raised by Amy Adams, the county’s director of personnel management.
As usual, Adams argued that the proposed pay hike was necessary to keep salary levels for those elective posts competitive and ensure that fully qualified candidates filed to run for local offices.
But council members were reluctant to address that issue over concerns about adding new complications to the proposed 2026 budget that was unfolding under the guidance of County Executive George Daines.
The pay increase for council members being suggested by Adams would total less than $100,000. But that amount would still add to Daines’ challenge in balancing a $115 million budget, while avoiding a $7.6 million revenue shortfall.
As usual, an outgoing member of the Cache County Council stepped forward to advocate for a pay increase for panel members in the months-long debate that followed.
Just as outgoing council member and budget hawk Paul Borup did in December of 2022, Tidwell took the lead in supporting the recommendation from the County Compensation Committee contained in Ordinance 2025-36 and continued to argue for even higher increases on Dec. 2.
Council member Keegan Garrity led the male opposition to Tidewell, stating flatly that he couldn’t support a pay raise while the county is imposing a property tax increase and considering cutting services for some residents.
Council members Nolan Gunnell, David Erickson and Mark Hurd voiced similar concerns.
In a series of 4-to-3 votes, the council eventually endorsed a motion by Erickson that kept council compensation at its current level, leaving them described as the lowest-paid county officials in Utah.