~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
At their March 14 meeting, the Greene County board of supervisors held a short public hearing on the county’s proposed FY23 budget. There were no written or oral objections to the budget.
After closing the hearing, the board first voted on a resolution to adopt a salary schedule for elected officials. The Greene County compensation board met in December and made salary recommendations for county elected officials.
The compensation board recommended raises of 15 percent for county attorney and sheriff, 10 percent for auditor and treasurer, and 8 percent for recorder and supervisors.
On Feb. 10, the supervisors voted to adopt the increases recommended by the compensation board, except for the salaries of the supervisors. The compensation board’s 8 percent recommendation for the supervisors would have increased their salary from $30,408 to $32,841 each. The supervisors voted to decrease that figure to a 7 percent increase, or $32,537.
At that vote, supervisor Tom Contner voted nay, based on his stated belief the supervisors should not set their own salaries.
At the March 14 meeting, the resolution to adopt the salary schedule for elected county officials recommended by the compensation board, and decreased by 1 percent for the supervisors’ salaries, was approved by the supervisors with Contner again voting nay.
Salaries of elected county officials approved by the resolution are attorney ($123,100), sheriff ($97,067), auditor ($73,141), recorder ($69,555), and supervisors ($32,537.)
The supervisors next approved a resolution to adopt the FY2023 Greene County budget and certificate of taxes. The auditor was directed to certify and file the budget and certificate of taxes.
Supervisors Pete Bardole, Mick Burkett, John Muir, and Dawn Rudolph voted aye; Contner voted nay.
The board discussed county library funding for future budget years. Bardole and Rudolph agreed to work on equitable library funding.
In other business, Jefferson city administrator Mike Palmer updated the board.
“We want to get out of the building business,” Palmer said. “The city has no plans to acquire more buildings.”
Palmer reported the former Air-Temp building at 105-107 N. Chestnut St is the last building around the square to be renovated and sold. He said it has been divided and sold to an insurance company and as an expansion of the Greater Life chiropractic office.
Palmer spoke of a GIS (Geological Information Service) system that will map the city water and sewer layout and provide better information in case of repair needs.
He reported the disc golf course at Daubendiek Park is “getting a lot of use,” and the municipal golf course has a new manager.
“Public works has taken over the oversight of the course,” he said. “We want to freshen up the clubhouse and add more events.”
County attorney Thomas Laehn reported he believes the updating of the Code of Ordinances required every five years can be done in-house and will not require outside assistance.
