C.R.S. § 26-1-119

The county director, with the approval of the county board, shall appoint such staff as may be necessary as determined by the state department rules to administer public assistance and welfare and child welfare activities within his or her county. Such staff shall be appointed and shall serve in accordance with a merit system for the selection, retention, and promotion of county department employees as described in section 26-1-120 . The salaries of the members of such staff shall be fixed in accordance with the rules and salary schedules prescribed by the state department; except that, once a county transfers its county employees to a successor merit system as provided in section 26-1-120 , the salaries shall be fixed by the county commissioners.