The Town of Granby Board of Trustees voted April 28 to increase entry-level police officer salaries by 8% with an additional 6% raise for all higher-level positions. The pay increases aim to address ongoing staffing challenges and strengthen recruitment efforts as the department works to hire a new police chief.

The board approved an updated pay “step plan” that will pay entry-level police officers about 8% more upon hiring and will raise wages in increments of 6% over eight stages, bringing Granby’s compensation above both the Grand County Sheriff’s Office and the Winter Park Fraser Police Department for comparable positions.

Town Manager Ted Cherry said the decision followed internal discussions with officers and leadership about both recruitment and retention.

“This is certainly a recruitment technique, but this is also a retention issue,” Cherry said during the meeting, mentioning that the town wants to avoid losing trained officers to neighboring departments.

Under the new plan, entry-level police officer salaries will increase from about $70,500 to just over $76,000 annually, with top-step officers earning more than $108,000. Sergeant pay will also rise, topping out at roughly $144,600 under the revised structure.

The changes are expected to cost the town about $47,800 in 2026, not including overtime, and will be applied retroactively to the start of the year, according to a memo presented at the board meeting.

According to Cherry, Granby already offers its police force strong benefits, but wages have lagged behind nearby police departments, making it difficult to attract applicants. Recent hiring efforts have not generated the level of interest needed to maintain staffing levels, he said.

Mayor Josh Hardy reiterated the hiring urgency, saying the town “needs more officers” and must stay competitive in a tight labor market for law enforcement. The town has yet to hire a permanent police chief following the resignation of David Shaffer last July. Andrew Sidener has been serving as interim policy chief since that time.

Cherry warned that losing even one officer to another local agency creates additional strain, given the cost of hiring and training replacements.

The updated pay scale is based on a market analysis conducted by Graves Consulting, which compared Granby’s wages to both Front Range and mountain-region departments. The study found the town was behind in salary competitiveness despite offering a strong benefits package.

With the new wages, Granby is aiming to be better positioned when it comes to recruiting certified officers. The town also plans to continue offering hiring incentives and housing opportunities, including units in the town’s Nuche Village workforce housing development, as part of its recruitment strategy.

Trustee Seth Stern acknowledged that the nearby Winter Park Fraser Police Department may respond with its own officer pay increases, but agreed the adjustment was necessary to remain competitive and stabilize the force during the search for new leadership.