Commissioners OK pay raise for elected officials

A 3 percent cost-of-living pay raise for elected county officials was approved by the Flathead County Commissioners on June 20, but they delayed a decision on cost-of-living raises for other county employees.

The county’s state-mandated Salary Compensation Board had recommended the cost-of-living raise for the nine elected officials. County administrator Mike Pence said a similar raise typically is offered to other county employees “out of fairness.”

Commissioner Pam Holmquist was absent for the vote, and commissioner Cal Scott recommended delaying a decision on a raise for the rest of the county employees until she returned.

Commissioner Gary Krueger had proposed a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for county employees along with a $1 per hour raise for deputy county attorneys, a 25 cent per hour raise for other county employees, and a $5,000 per year raise for the county finance director.

All told, Krueger proposed $450,000 out of the next fiscal year budget to go to raises. The cost-of-living increases would amount to $213,000.

Krueger said the county needs to compensate county employees for belt-tightening during the recent economic recession. The commissioners provided no pay raises in 2009 and 2010 as a show of solidarity with county residents during hard times.

While the commissioners have discussed conducting a wage and salary study, like one performed in 2006, Krueger said he didn’t want to wait a couple years for the study to be completed. He cited the county’s sizable cash reserves as evidence it could afford the raises.

With a 3 percent raise, salaries for Flathead County’s elected officials would be:

County Attorney $101,224

Justice of the Peace, Dept. 2 $79,930

Justice of the Peace, Dept. 1 $76,928

Sheriff Coroner $75,183

County Treasurer Assessor $65,593

Clerk Record Surveyor $65,593

County Commissioners $65,593

Superintendent of Schools $63,993

Clerk of District Court $63,593