The Greene County Compensation Board met Tuesday.

The Compensation Board is an advisory board to the Supervisors that makes annual recommendations for salary increases for each of the elected county officials. The main discussion was about increasing the county sheriff’s salary to be compliant with the new state law that requires all county sheriffs to be paid within the same salary range as Iowa State Patrol administrative staff, which would’ve been a 30-percent increase if done all at once. Last year, the sheriff’s salary was increased by 15-percent. 

Jim Unger, who represented the Supervisors, said the federal Social Security percentage increase was 8.7-percent this year and thought the salaries should reflect that increase. Board Chair Mary Jane Fields initially proposed a nine-percent across the board raise for all county elected officials, aside from the sheriff, to get all offices within the top half of all counties in the state. 

However, County Treasurer Katlynn Mechaelsen and County Auditor Jane Heun were nervous about that large of an increase in order to keep a more balanced county budget. County Recorder’s representative Adam Pedersen then made the motion of 13.5-percent salary increase for the sheriff and 6.5-percent for all other elected officials. He said 13.5-percent keeps them on track to fully be in compliance with the sheriff’s salary and the 6.5-percent would be more palatable for the other officials. The Board unanimously approved the motion as presented.

The recommendation now goes to the County Board of Supervisors.

The representatives on the Compensation Board include Mary Jane Fields and Jim Unger for the Supervisors, Guy Richardson for county auditor, Tom Heater for county attorney, John McCormick represents the county sheriff, the county treasurer’s representative is Tim Heisterkamp and Adam Pedersen is with the county recorder.