Benton County appoints compensation board

VINTON — Earlier this month, the Benton County Board of Supervisors approved the formation of a county compensation board to recommend pay raises for elected county officials.

On Jan. 14, elected officials appointed their representatives to the compensation board.

Supervisor Ron Tippett named Mike Barron. Supervisor Chairman Tracy Seeman chose Steve Williams.

Auditor Hayley Rippel named Michelle Schoonover to represent her office on the compensation board.

Recorder Lexa Speidel named John Yundt; Attorney Ray Lough, John Ketchen; Treasurer Melinda Schoettmer, Tressa Walton. and Sheriff Dave Upah, Charles Garwood.

The supervisors can’t go above the compensation board’s recommendation for elected officials’ salaries and can only cut the recommended salaries by a uniform percentage.

According to the County Home Rule Implementation code from the state, “The members of the county compensation board shall be appointed to four-year, staggered terms of office. The members of the county compensation board shall not be officers or employees of the state or a political subdivision of the state. A term shall be effective on the first of July of the year of appointment.”

The Code also says, “At the public hearing held on the county budget as provided in section 331.434, the county compensation board shall submit its recommended compensation schedule for the next fiscal year to the Board of Supervisors for inclusion in the county budget.

“The Board of Supervisors shall review the recommended compensation schedule for the elected county officers and determine the final compensation schedule which shall not exceed the compensation schedule recommended by the county compensation board.

“In determining the final compensation schedule if the Board of Supervisors wishes to reduce the amount of the recommended compensation schedule, the amount of salary increase proposed for each elected county officer, except as provided in subsection 3, shall be reduced an equal percentage.

“A copy of the final compensation schedule shall be filed with the county budget at the office of the director of the department of management. The final compensation schedule takes effect on July 1 following its adoption by the Board of Supervisors.”

In other business, Ben Turnis, from information technology, discussed the tech team’s assessment of the sheriff’s office. The tech team has ITs from other counties who look for problems. The team will interview all of the employees to see if things are running right.

IT will also see if equipment needs to be updated and will prioritize what needs to be done. The assessment costs $4,000.

A budget amendment hearing is set for Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 9:30 a.m. Rippel said this will include items recommended by the sheriff’s tech team.

Rippel talked about the timeline on budget work for the next fiscal year. Department heads will present their proposed budgets. Supervisor Tippett proposed sending a letter to the department heads on where their budgets should be.