Compensation Board recommends seven percent raise for elected county officials

            Members of the Keokuk County Compensation Board met for their annual meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, where they voted four to one to recommend a seven percent raise for all elected county officials for the 2018-2019 fiscal year to the Board of Supervisors.

            The Compensation Board- Chairman Phil Buschmann, Cathy Fry, Dixie Shipley, Lee Frimml, Tony Pitsch and David Welch present-opened the meeting to comments from audience members, including Christy Bates, County Auditor; Dawn Goldman, County Recorder; Deke Wood, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and John Schroeder, County Attorney. Schroeder pointed out several reasons why he believes that county officials deserved “a significant” raise as their staff’s salary raises depend on what the officials are awarded each fiscal year.

            “Keokuk County ranks 74^th in population compared to the 98 other counties in Iowa,” Schroeder said. “Recorder ranks 89^th in salary, Auditor ranks 91^st, Treasurer ranks 91^st and I rank 65^th out of 65 full-time county attorneys prohibited from having a private practice. It doesn’t matter much to me what you do with my salary, but it does to my staff and the other elected official’s staff.”

            Schroeder, who has been with Keokuk County for over 35 years, went on to recommend a five percent to the Compensation board, adding that he was aware it was unlikely that they would get the requested raise. Even if it was recommended by the Compensation Board to the Board of Supervisors, the Supervisors have the ability to lower-not raise-the recommendation for the raise.

            “What I’m hoping is that the Board of Supervisors will do at least three percent and kept us all in our standings,” Schroeder said. “Hopefully, no one else becomes the lowest paid person in their position in the state of Iowa.”  

            Several members of the Compensation Board expressed their support for elected officials and their salaries coming in lower than many other counties each year, including 10 smaller counties that pay their County Attorney with similar requirements a higher wage each year.

            “I have heard this all before and I know this county has money that can give you guys a legitimate raise and not have you below the average of the state of Iowa,” Cathy Fry, a member of the Compensation Board since 2008 said. “I don’t know what it takes to get there, because we can ask for a seven percent raise, a five percent raise and not see that happen. You all do a good job here and have had the same employees here for years. That should say something.” 

Please view the December 20 edition of The News-Review for the full story.