County board freezes their own wages

Constraints on the upcoming fiscal year budget had the Board of Supervisors concerned last week about how everything will fall into place.

While they still have time this winter to finalize funding levels across departments, the supervisors took one step during their meeting last Wednesday, unanimously approving no raise for themselves in the new fiscal year.

The decision reverses the compensation board’s recommendation and changes the previously approved 2.8% increase.

Supervisor Michael Christoffersen raised the issue, saying that after reviewing the general supplemental and general basic funds and seeing lower percentages than in past years, something has to give. He said he reviewed department budgets and did not find much excess to cut.

Christoffersen also reviewed average wages for supervisors in counties with five-member boards. Though there are not many such counties, he said he found nine with populations under 10,000 that he could use for comparison. Adair County falls in line with averages.

“I kept circling back to wages. I think it’s kind of important we leave our employees at that 2.8%, just because that’s the cost of living adjustment and that’s how we arrived at that number,” Christoffersen said. “I kept thinking about supervisor wages, in particular.”

The supervisors approved a 5% wage increase last year. Considering that, along with conversations he has already had with at least one county department about possible budget-control measures ahead, Christoffersen said he wondered whether taking no raise this year would be an appropriate way for supervisors to set a precedent.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of justifying a wage, it’s more about where our general basic and general supplemental carryover amounts are at,” Christoffersen said.

Supervisor Matt Wedemeyer said the board has handled its own wage decisions separately in past years.

“It’s not necessarily going to save money, but it shows we’re taking a cut too if we’re going to cut another department,” Wedemeyer said.

Wedemeyer asked whether the board should reconsider the 2.8% increase approved for other employees, but other supervisors said they did not want to revisit that decision.

“In my mind, the cost of living assessment, you’re not really even getting a raise,” Christoffersen said.

Supervisors also discussed the possibility of not replacing employees who retire or leave, but said they do not want to create inefficiencies. Wedemeyer said he is unsure where positions could go unfilled without affecting operations.

“It’s not that we don’t have any money, it’s that we can’t spend the money where we need to spend the money,” Hoadley said, pointing out certain items state government says counties should do, but doesn’t fund them.

Wedemeyer said there is a good chance the numbers will look better by the end of the current fiscal year. Auditor Mandy Berg agreed.

“Like Matt said, maybe when the new fiscal year hits we’ll be great. I hope we are, but we’ve got to plan for the worst and hope for the best,” she said.