Monument Sanitation District, Dec. 17 – 2026 budget approved; compensation debated

December 31, 2025

Highlights

The Monument Sanitation District board approved the 2026 budget and the 2026 rates and fees, with the only changes to the fee schedule being higher lien filing and certification fees to cover El Paso County's processing costs.
The budget projects a starting fund balance of $934,000, about $1.37 million in income, $2.31 million in expenditures, and an ending balance of roughly $976,000. The public hearing closed without comments.
During the meeting, the board approved Resolution 12172025-1 for the budget and noted that a 5% salary increase was included in the budget but would be decided later, as part of a separate discussion on compensation and potential cost-of-living adjustments.
Director Shannon Clark abstained from the vote on the budget resolution due to insufficient information, while the rest of the board voted in favor.
On compensation, board member Dan Hamilton and Director Clark reviewed pay levels at comparable districts and pushed to align MSD's compensation more closely with those benchmarks by March, noting the current use of bonuses was unusual.
Hamilton proposed a 3% cost-of-living increase for Parker starting January, plus $1,000 for Parker and $750 for Allsup as cash gifts to maintain continuity with past practices, and the board unanimously supported those moves as a step toward restructuring compensation away from bonuses.
Conclusion: The district moves forward with a balanced 2026 budget and adjusted compensation plans, aiming for greater alignment with peer districts while maintaining stable lien-related fees and a measured approach to wage adjustments. The next meeting is January 21, with details available on the district's website.

Budget approved and funds appropriated
Compensation to be reviewed

By Jackie Burhans and James Howald

At its December meeting, the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board concluded its work on its 2026 budget and approved rates and fees that are unchanged except for lien fees. It also discussed how to align its compensation with similar districts.

Budget approved and funds appropriated

Board President Dan Hamilton opened a public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget and on the rates and fees, both of which the board had hammered out at a workshop meeting and at its November meeting. Parker noted that the only changes to the fee schedule were increases to the fees for filing and certifying liens. Parker explained that the increases were due to El Paso County (EPC) increasing what it charges to handle the liens that MSD files against delinquent accounts. The fees compensate EPC for the work it does to collect the liens. EPC deposits the money due to MSD in MSD’s bank account, Parker explained.

The 2026 budget specifies a beginning fund balance of $934,000. It anticipates $1.37 million in income and $2.31 million in expenditures, for an ending fund balance of $976.

There were no comments from the public, and the hearing was closed.

The board considered Resolution 12172025-1, which adopts the 2026 budget and appropriates the required funds. Parker said the budget allowed for 5% salary increases. Hamilton said he wanted to discuss cost-of-living increases and bonuses included in the budget later in the meeting during the Director’s Matters agenda item.

Director Shannon Clark said she intended to abstain from the vote on the resolution because she didn’t have enough information. She noted that other sanitation districts were increasing wages by only 3%, and she didn’t understand why MSD was budgeting for a 5% increase.

Parker explained that, while the budget contained funds for a 5% increase, any increase would be decided as a separate issue later. Director Janet Ladowski said that was the process used the previous year.

The board, including Clark, voted to approve the resolution.

The board then took up Resolution 12172025-2, which approves the rates and fees for 2026. Parker said he had researched the fee schedules of surrounding districts and thought MSD’s fees were in line with the districts he investigated.

The board voted unanimously for the resolution.

Compensation to be reviewed

Hamilton said he and Clark had reviewed the compensation in place at some comparable districts, and as a result, he and Clark were not sure MSD’s compensation for Parker and Accounts Administrator Cheran Allsup aligned with other districts. He said he wanted to continue to study that issue with the goal of aligning MSD’s compensation by March. He said he wasn’t going to push for major changes at the December meeting because he did not have all the facts. He noted that he has not been doing annual performance reviews with Parker. Hamilton said MSD was alone in its use of bonuses, which were “left over from the past.”

Clark handed out compensation schedules she had collected from comparable sanitation districts. Hamilton pointed out that the salaries for district managers varied from $73,000 to $343,000—a huge range.

Hamilton moved to give a cost-of-living increase of 3% for Parker, to begin in January. He also recommended cash gifts of $1,000 to Parker and $750 to Allsup, because he did not want to depart from previous years’ practice too abruptly. Hamilton said he wanted to move away from bonuses and gifts by getting Parker’s compensation properly set. The board voted unanimously in favor of Hamilton’s motion.

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Monument Sanitation District meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month in the district conference room at 130 Second St., Monument. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 21. See MonumentSanitationDistrict.org. For a district service map, see www.MonumentSanitationDistrict.org/district-map. For information: 719-481-4886.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me. James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Budget approved and funds appropriated

Compensation to be reviewed

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