The Greene County supervisors at the July 17 meeting approved a resolution appointing Billie Jo Hoskins as auditor, but the draft minutes of the meeting don’t show that she was administered the oath of office.
In a procedural error, county treasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen jumped the gun and administered the oath of office to Hoskins prior to the supervisors approving the resolution. The agenda correctly listed the resolution first and then the oath of office, and county attorney Thomas Laehn wasn’t at the meeting to catch the mistake before it occurred.
After Hoskins took the oath of office, the supervisors approved the resolution of her appointment. The draft minutes don’t include her taking the oath of office. (Minutes can be amended by motion of the board at the next meeting.)
Hoskins fills the vacancy created by the July 14 retirement of auditor Jane Heun. Hoskins will serve the remainder of Heun’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2024.
The supervisors approved wage increases for all fulltime Greene County deputies, jailers, and dispatchers, but the raises weren’t “across the board.”
Williams suggested a week ago $12,000 annual increases for the deputies, but he mentioned then that giving all deputies the same increase would make captain Shane Allen’s wage more than that of chief deputy Nathaniel Chapman. By Iowa Code, the chief deputy is to be paid 85 percent of the sheriff’s annual salary.
The resolution approved by the supervisors increases Allen’s salary from 75 to 82 percent of the sheriff’s, an increase of $7,712. Investigator Heath Enns’ salary increases from 65 to 72 percent of the sheriff’s, also an increase of $7,712. Deputies Christopher Frehse, Cale Crowder and Ashley Wilson all received annual increases of $12,000. Annual salaries now range from $75,738 to $90,340.
Four fulltime jailers received increases of $6,000 each, with the range now from $45,750 $55,140. Four fulltime dispatchers also received increases of $6,000 each, with the range from $45,520 to $53,340.
Williams a week ago also suggested hourly wage increases for part-time jailers and dispatchers. He said Monday those increases would need to wait until next July.
The resolution increasing the wages notes that the sheriff has been hindered in efforts to attract and retain quality candidates for open positions “due to a shortage of applicants and competition from surrounding counties” and that surrounding jurisdictions are offering “significantly higher wages” than Greene County.
“Time will tell if this is a competitive wage,” board chair John Muir said.
Treasurer Mechaelsen reported on the county’s investments. As of June 30, 2023, the end of the fiscal year, the county had $14,201,498 in interest-bearing accounts, certificates of deposit and bonds. Total interest income was during FY23 was $282,113. Mechaelsen said she had been aggressive with investments and is “super proud” of the interest earned.
The county has $2,293,000 in CDs that could be used for the upcoming HVAC project at the courthouse, she said.
She also reported the county’s share of Wild Rose Casino revenues for the year ending June 30, 2023, was $176,582. That’s about $5,000 less than last year, but still $16,000 more than received in FY2021.
The supervisors approved a request from the Bell Tower Community Foundation for Mahanay Maestro Rick Morain to play ‘traveling’ music – songs with lyrics about traveling – from the bell tower next Tuesday while RAGBRAI® riders go through Jefferson. He’ll play two tunes after the hour chimes and two tunes after the half-hour chimes, from 8 am to 1 pm. He’ll play some of them live and some he will have already recorded on the carillon.
