Dozens of El Dorado County employees and community members gathered outside the county government center Tuesday, calling on local leaders to address what they say is a growing issue of fairness and survival.

Many county workers say they love their jobs but can no longer afford to live in the communities they serve.

"A lot of the guys are having trouble feeding their families," said Eric Sunderland, a grounds supervisor for the county. "It's hard out there. That's why it's important to me."

The rally was organized by the group Hold El Dorado County Accountable, alongside unions and taxpayer organizations, including Operating Engineers Local 3 and AFSCME Public Employees Union Local 1.

Protesters are pushing back against what they call the misuse of Charter Section 504, a policy originally approved by voters to increase pay for sheriff's deputies. Over the years, the provision has been expanded to include other top county positions, such as the chief administrative officer and county counsel.

"They need to stop the automatic raises for those high-paid officials that make huge amounts of money," said Shannon Starr with Hold El Dorado County Accountable. "They need to start taking care of their employees."

Workers like Sunderland and others say they're doing the hard labor that keeps the county running, maintaining roads, parks, and public spaces, but don't feel fairly compensated.

"We are doing the grunt work, the dirty work that makes them look good," said Robert Fisher, a county grounds worker. "They give us pennies while they take the dollars."

County supervisors have defended the raises, saying they're required under existing compensation rules to keep top positions competitive.

But workers and their supporters say it's about priorities and ensuring those who keep the county functioning can afford to stay here.

Organizers say they've sent more than 800 emails to supervisors in the past two weeks demanding fairer pay and greater transparency.