Readers ask questions about 6 percent recommended pay raises for county elected officials

(decorahnews.com reported earlier http://www.decorahnews.com/news-stories/2015/12/12429.html on the County Compensation Board's recommendation that elected Winneshiek County officials receive a 6 percent pay raise for 2016-2017.  The story, as might be expected, brought comments and questions from our readers)

Marsha asks: "I am assuming that county officials know what the pay is when they run for office. A 6 percent pay raise is pretty steep.  I am sure there are not many private companies that are giving out that kind of raise.  How did the county get so far behind in their pay compared to other areas?

Mr. Answer Person says: Winneshiek County hires the services of Paul Greufe, a human resources consultant based in the Quad Cities.  Greufe compared the salaries of elected officials in Winneshiek County to those paid by similar counties in Iowa--and found the salaries in Winneshiek County were more than 20 percent lower, in some cases.

His recommendation was that salaries of elected officials be raised 18 percent over a three-year time period--2014, 2015 and 2016.  That means the six percent proposed pay raise for 2016-2017 is the last of the three suggested pay raises.  In theory, county elected officials will be getting paid roughly the same salaries as elected officials in similar Iowa counties once the latest 6 percent pay raise goes into effect.  Stay tuned.

Bob asks, "If elected county officials are getting six percent raises, what are unionized county employees getting?"

Mr. Answer Person says, "The county employees are in the middle of a previously-signed contract, according to the Compensation Board members--so those wages were set a year ago."