---

The County Board meeting last week, scheduled to run one hour, went twice that long and then some. Establishing wages for elected officials for 2007 created a lot of discussion.

The County Board sets the annual wage for the sheriff, county attorney, auditor and treasurer, and for county commissioners. This year the people who hold elected positions submitted wage requests to the Board via County Administrator John Moosey. Moosey invited the officials to attend last week's daytime Board meeting to speak about his or her proposed wages.

Summing up what's been happening, Sheriff Todd Rivard said he looked at internal wages, for example the county engineer and HHS director, and realized that non-elected positions were earning more than elected department heads. "I've been left behind" Rivard stated. He explained that within District 4 (a professional category of sheriff postings he belongs to) there are 14 sheriffs. The wage he was requesting was "in the middle" of these.

Incoming County Attorney Janet Reiter explained that she researched wage scales in several comparable sized counties and asked the Board to consider her years of experience in prosecution.

Commissioner Lynn Schultz observed the increases being requested were significant, and she asked why the increases didn't come up during 2007 budget-setting talks.

Moosey said he assumes each elected official has a wage line built into their department budget to cover increases, or they'll be able to shift line items to cover the increases. The least increase requested was for the incoming county attorney, at $1,797 additional from what the department had budgeted.

The largest gap was in the sheriff's budget with Rivard requesting a wage $9,000 beyond that budgeted.

Commissioner Ben Montzka noted there are non-elected department heads with less seniority making more than the elected department heads. He agreed some adjustments should be made but felt that when you "...add all these up, it's a lot of money. Can't we set a wage now and make adjustments later in the year?" (Presumably as expenses become more certain for the year. We checked last year's wage actions (there was a 4 percent increase) and discovered Montzka was quoted a year ago requesting ainformation on elected officials' wages and what other counties do to handle this.)

Most of the county's non-elected staff receive wage adjustments both through annual action in across-the-board hikes and through step or grade changes as performance reviews and anniversaries arrive.

Because of the way the system works, a non-elected employee can be making more than the county auditor does with 30 years of service --or the sheriff with 26 years in county law enforcement.

Commissioner Rick Olseen was not comfortable with the Board setting wages based on requests. He asked for a "separate set of eyes" to present a job study or job worth description-- possibly coordinated through Human Resources.

Commissioner Bob Gustafson said, "Lay the blame on this (Board) table...we haven't been keeping up on these adjustments. The sheriff's especially is totally out of whack," Gustafson added.

Chairman Mike Robinson stepped down and made a motion setting the 2007 elected wages: Treasurer Lee Olson at $73,000, County Attorney-elect Janet Reiter at $88,000; auditor at $89,000 and the sheriff was put at $100,000.

(See chart for stats on existing and new salaries.)

Gustafson seconded, but asked for a friendly amendment to put the county attorney salary at $90,000 which Robinson accepted.

Commissioner Rick Olseen made a motion to table this until information could be developed to support the wage hikes, but it got no second and died.

Human Resources Director Renee Kirchner told the County Board it can do what it wants, but it should have a consistent basis for action on wages. Kirchner advised, "You can use (county) population or whatever you want; but (arbitrator) rulings have been that whatever you use it should be applied in a consistent manner."

Then a recess was called while the Robinson motion could be calculated into increases as percentages.

After reconvening Montzka made a plea for adopting an across-the-board percent increase for the elected officials and wages would be reviewed later in the year, but there were no takers.

The Robinson motion then passed 3-2 with Olseen and Montzka opposed.

In establishing the County Board wage for 2007 the vote was to leave the annual wage at $27,419 but increase the per diem paid to $50; up from $45.

The motion by Robinson passed 4-1 with Montzka opposed.

Commissioner Gustafson presented a motion to go to a $60 per diem, which Commissioner Schultz seconded. She withdrew her second, however, when it was discussed that the $60 hike also affects per diems paid to all citizens serving on various committees. Schultz felt the budgetary impact was too great.

Robinson's $50 per diem motion also added the County Board's three regular monthly meetings as eligible for a per diem claim, on days when a commissioner has just that one meeting. Committee assignments are made in the 2007 organizational meeting Jan. 2.

Citing the state's corrective actions described in the last two state audits, Commissioner Montzka made a motion to "suspend" the practice of having a county commissioner schedule and control all use of county ball facilities.

Olseen seconded. Robinson and Schultz opposed the motion, and it died on the tie. Gustafson abstained.

County Administrator Moosey said he will meet with the incoming county attorney to get a contract drawn up and present to the Board allowing control of county facilities. State laws require government units enact contracts for services and it doesn't matter if money changes hands for the services or not.

"We will do what we (told the state auditor) we'd do," Moosey promised.

Gustafson argued he'd gladly make a motion authorizing the county to advertise for someone to handle "recreation services." When he was asked by staff what the county would be advertising for-- Robinson interjected that this needs to be tabled. It was-- until the second meeting in January.

---