Benefits

Colusa County offers an excellent benefit package. Employees may be eligible for the following:

Vacation

You will accrue vacation as follows:

• New hires through five (3) years of continuous service will accrue 6.25 hours per month, equaling 10 working days of vacation per year. 
• Four (4) years through seven (7) years of continuous service will accrue 9.375 hours per month equaling 15 working days of vacation per year. 
• Eight (8) years through eleven (11) years of continuous service will accrue 12.50 hours per month equaling 20 working days of vacation per year.
• Twelve (12) years or continuous years of service will accrue 15.625 hours per month equaling 25 working days of vacation per year.

Vacation accrual is capped at 1.5 times the yearly rate.

Vacation Parity ­­­­­­

Employees shall be credited, for the purpose of vacation accruals, with years of service in an eligible full-time, benefited position on a year-for-year basis with other public agency* prior to their appointment in Colusa County, in accordance with County Policy. Service credit is also to be given to employees with prior military service (counted in full years, on a year-for-year basis), if the employee was honorably discharged and form DD-214 is submitted. Public Agency means any city, county, district, other local authority or public body [similar to Cal Gov Code §20056 minus CA state specific service].

Management Leave 

The following units are entitled to Management Leave for each calendar year as follows:

• Unrepresented Employees: fifty-six (56) hours
• Unrepresented & Appointed Department Heads: seventy-five (75) or eighty (80) hours, depending on current work schedule (10 days)

• Management Employees: forty (40) hours. 

This allocation of Management Leave will be added to eligible employees' accounts starting from the first day of the first full pay period in January, and it will not carry over or accumulate from one year to the next.  Any unused Management Leave remaining at the end of the calendar year shall be forfeited. Management Leave is not eligible for cash-out.

Holidays

Most employees receive thirteen (13) paid holidays per year, holidays vary by unit, pro-rated for part-time employees.

Sick Leave             

One (1) day paid sick leave is accrued each month, beginning with date of hire. Pro-rated for part-time employees. For Peace Officers, unused sick leave may be converted to California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) service credit at retirement. 

Health and Insurance Benefits

Health – Colusa County offers several HMO and PPO medical plan options through CalPERS. Currently, the County pays the entire premium for all coverage levels if employees select the CalPERS Gold or Western Health Advantage Plan. Eligibility is based on your residence or work zip code, for more information visit the CalPERS website here or contact Human Resources.

Dental – Colusa County offers HMO and PPO dental plans with orthodontic coverage through Delta Dental.

Vision – Colusa County offers a vision plan through Vision Service Providers (VSP) Ameritas. The County contributes the full premium for employee only. Enrollment is mandatory at the employee – only level.

For an overview of our Health, Dental & Vision plans along with their pricing details for each Association, please see below. 

Benefits Overview effective January 1, 2025, for Colusa County Employees' Association Units

Benefits Overview effective January 1, 2025, for Colusa Deputy Sheriffs' Association Units

Benefits Overview effective January 1, 2025, for Management and Unrepresented Units

Benefits Overview effective January 1, 2025, for Appointed Department Heads Units

Benefits Overview effective January 1, 2025, for Elected Department Heads Units

Retirement     

Colusa offers an excellent retirement benefit through CalPERS (3% @ 60 for Classic Members or 2% @ 62 for New Members); that means a lifetime paycheck upon retirement! (After 5 years of service.)

Deferred Compensation 457(b) Plans – Colusa County offers optional deferred compensation plans through CalPERS Voya and MetLife with matching employer contributions based on years of service:

• Up to 7 years of service: $30 per month
• 7-15 years of service: $40 per month
• 15+ years of service: $50 per month

Salary

Generally, you are never more than two (2) years away from getting your next pay increase! 

Currently, the salary range for each position consists of 15 steps. The first 6 steps are annual merit steps, with approximately 5% difference between each step. Annual advancement is based on successful performance. Steps 7-15 represent additional merit steps, and eligibility for step advancement is based on 2 years of satisfactory performance at the previous step. Steps 7 through 14 provide increases of 2.5% each, while Step 15 offers a 5% increase. The successful applicant can expect to be offered a salary ranging from steps I to 15, depending on their experience and qualifications. To view our job class table, click here.

Supplemental Benefits

County of Colusa offers a wide variety of optional supplemental benefits through Colonial Life and other vendors.

Social Security

The County participates in the Social Security Program. Employee share: 6.2% up to $176,100. 

What is the benefit of being a part of CalPERS and Social Security? Both Social Security and CalPERS retirement programs offer a source of retirement income. Social Security is a federal program that provides a basic level of retirement income for eligible individuals, while CalPERS is a California public employee retirement system that offers retirement benefits to public employees in the state. By participating in these programs, individuals can receive regular income payments during their retirement years.

California State Disability Insurance

Colusa County participates in the SDI program; the employee rate is 1.2 %.

Assist to Own-Home Buying

The “Assist-to-Own” Program, sponsored by Golden State Finance Authority, provides Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance (DPA), up to 5.5% of the First Mortgage Loan amount. With the assistance, you may be able to purchase a home with little-to-no money out of pocket and maybe sooner than thought possible.

Program Highlights:

• Down Payment Assistance, up to 5.5% of the Total Mortgage Loan. 
• Available with purchase of a primary residence. 
• Variety of Mortgage Loan options (FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional Mortgage Loans). 
• No first-time homebuyer requirement to qualify. 
• Flexible guidelines: Minimum FICO 640; Maximum DTI 50%. 
• Flexible income limits, up to moderate income levels; no income limits for FHA and VA. 

County employees interested in learning more about the potential benefits of “Assist-to-Own” can visit Colusa County Assist-to-Own | Additional Resources | GSFA (gsfahome.org) or call GSFA toll-free at (855) 740-8422.