The Carroll County Board of Supervisors is considering using a formal compensation board to help determine pay for the county’s elected officials in the future. Board Chair Stephanie Hausman says a law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds during the 2024 legislative session dissolved all compensation boards, effective July 1.
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The purpose of compensation boards is to ensure that pay for elected officials is comparable to that of similarly sized counties or equivalent positions in the private sector. District 2 Supervisor Gene Meiners notes that the challenge previously was the requirement that any adjustments the supervisors make to the compensation board’s recommendation must be made evenly, but that is no longer the case under the new law.
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The Back the Blue Act, which was signed into law in 2021 by Gov. Reynolds, unintentionally upended an already difficult process by functionally requiring compensation boards to recommend substantial increases to sheriffs’ salaries. The supervisors could still reduce that requested amount, but other offices’ representatives would then need to guess how much they thought the supervisors would cut the recommendation to ensure their office received what they believe to be a fair increase. District 2 Supervisor Mike Andersen says he would have advocated for the end of compensation boards a few years ago but is much more comfortable with the idea now that the supervisors have more say in the final numbers.
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Several elected officials, including county attorney John Werden, also addressed the board. He favors maintaining a compensation board to avoid the supervisors’ having outsized authority.
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County Recorder Ashten Wittrock adds that each office’s representative often has a better understanding of elected officials’ requirements, and their recommendations result from hours of research and comparisons with other counties. County Treasurer Lisa Wagner also voiced her support for the use of a compensation board. The supervisors did not take formal action following the discussion and are not required to do so. No action would leave the compensation board dissolved. However, if the supervisors decide to reinstate the compensation board, they’d like to settle the issue before budget preparations begin in the fall.