Discuss whether the job is fulltime or part-time
It came down to board of supervisors chair John Muir to break a tie vote and award county elected officials 3 percent raises and themselves a 2.5 percent raise effective July 1. On a voice vote at the Jan 26 meeting on a motion to approve those raises, supervisors Guy Richardson and Dawn Rudolph voted in favor of the motion and supervisors Tom Contner and Mick Burkett voted against it. Muir, as chair, voted last and voted “yes.”
The board at its Jan. 26 meeting discussed for 20 minutes the compensation board’s recommendation for 3 percent salary increases for all county elected officials. The board has felt discomfort at the recommendation in large part because the county’s union employees – secondary roads and sheriff’s office employees – will receive 2.5 percent raises in July as part of a negotiated three-year agreement.
As in previous discussions, Richardson advocated for a 3 percent increase for all elected officials, including the supervisors. The union employees can work overtime and add to their wages, he said, while the elected officials are not paid for time worked over 40 hours per week. He has said repeatedly said the elected officials have all done their jobs well and are deserving of pay increases. “The job we’ve done at the helm is a good one and I see no reason we should be treated different than everyone else,” he said Monday.
Richardson made a motion to open discussion that all officials receive a 3 percent raise. Supervisors talked not as much about their job performance, but about their workloads. They meet together only a few hours a week, but most of them attend meetings and deal with concerns of county residents on a daily basis. Muir called it a “strenuous, stressful part-time job.” Richardson said he spends 40 hours a week on county business.
Contner said he sees it as a part-time job, but pointed out that the supervisors can get the same health benefits provided to fulltime employees. “Where else can you get a part-time job and get full medical coverage?” he asked.
Contner has not accepted a raise since he was first elected in 2010, although he is now getting the county’s health benefits, at a cost of about $14,000 a year.
“You’re a supervisor 24/7, although I have other jobs I do,” Rudolph said. “When the need arises that I need to have my supervisor hat on, it’s on. Most of the time it’s spur of the moment, and you just do it.”
Burkett opposed the 3 percent raise for the supervisors because of public opinion. “Yes, we’re doing a good job. I haven’t heard anybody complain about what we do, but I’ve several people say, ‘do you really need a raise?’,” Burkett said.
Richardson’s motion for an across the board 3 percent increase received no second. He withdrew the motion and replaced it with the motion for the smaller raise for the supervisors. The motion was approved by a 3-2 vote.
Effective July 1, salaries for elected officials will change as follows: supervisors, from $26,335 (each) to $26,993; treasurer from $51,802 to $53,356; auditor from $52,274 to $53,842; recorder from $51,313 to $52,853; sheriff from $67,540 to $69,566; and attorney from $83,540 to $86,046.
