A pay discrepancy between the Guthrie County Supervisors and the Sheriff’s Office came to an ultimate conclusion recently.

At a recent Supervisors meeting, Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright said he understood the County’s new payroll policy for one-percent annual increases after an employee reaches 80-percent. However, he hoped Deputy Blake Michelsen, who was hired before the policy was implemented, would be grandfathered under the traditional Sheriff’s Office policy of maxing a deputy’s salary at 83-percent after working in his department for five years.

“Once they get five years, it never changes again, only from cost of living increases. It’s went on for 30 years that way.”

Michelsen said to the Board that he understood the County’s need to be fiscally responsible, but the raise schedule did factor into his decision five years ago when he joined the sheriff’s office.

“I’m not trying to create an issue or anything like that, but when I did get hired, it was presented to me. It’s one of the reasons I came out here. In Des Moines, you may get paid more, but it’s going to take years to get to that step, so technically you max out sooner in Guthrie County and that’s why I chose Guthrie.”

Supervisor Chair Mike Dickson led a discussion with the rest of the Board concerning the pay raise for the deputy.

“Quite honestly we all need to take the blame for this too. We hired two new deputies, not too long ago, at 80-percent. I think that was wrong because we have a deputy who’s been here five years, and he’s only getting paid 80-percent. That doesn’t look right either. It’s not good. We agreed to that. But, we weren’t aware that they were at 80-percent. No, but that is something we should have researched. The total blame may not be on us, but part of it is.”

After the discussion, the Supervisor’s approved a one percent pay increase to Michelsen to keep in line with their policy.