Louisa County supervisors grant 3% salary increases for county employees
WAPELLO — A regular 3% salary increase and an additional 3% payment, which has been variously identified as a stipend or a bonus — and during a special Louisa County Board of Supervisors budget meeting on Thursday as a one-time cost-of-living adjustment — will remain in the Louisa County’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget for all employees, with the exception of elected officials.
The supervisors had earlier agreed to the two-tier wage increase as part of the county’s negotiations with its two union bargaining units. Following that settlement, the supervisors had then extended the same percentages to all county employees.
However, an opinion from county attorney Adam Parsons later forced the board to remove the 3% stipend from the wage increase provided to elected officials.
In his opinion, Parsons explained state law empowers a county compensation board to set elected officials’ annual salary increases and the stipends would violate that statute. He indicated in the opinion that non-elected employees appeared to be eligible for stipends, but recommended the supervisors approve a resolution stating the purpose for those payments.
That point led to the supervisors on Thursday to confirm the increase, which will not increase base pay, as a one-time COLA to provide the non-elected employees with inflation relief.
Supervisor Chris Ball then wondered if that settled the legal issue.
“So, if we specify this as one-time only because of inflation, it’s legal?” he asked Parsons.
“I can’t tell you that because this a gray area that no court has ruled on,” Parsons replied, adding there were many factors involved that would be examined in an audit.
He did remind the board there were attorney general opinions that appeared to support that point.
Parsons had also cautioned the board on the stipends potential effect on the annual wages paid to elected officials’ deputies, warning a future audit could identify the payments as part of the deputy’s regular pay.
According to the Iowa Code, a first deputy can earn up to 85% of the elected official’s salary, while a second deputy can earn up to 80%. If an audit determined the COLAs were part of the regular pay and the deputy’s annual pay exceeded the limit, the deputy could be forced to repay the excess.
Auditor Sandi Sturgell told the board on Thursday all the elected officials, except for sheriff Brad Turner, had included the 3% COLA for their first and second deputies in their budget proposals.
The board then indicated support for a proposed budget rollout presented by Sturgell earlier in the meeting. The proposal calls for an urban tax rate slightly below $6.64 per $1,000 valuation and a rural rate of just over $9.21 per $1,000.
According to online information, the county’s FY 22 levy rates are urban, just under $6.85; and rural, slightly below $9.37.
Total Expenditures and Other Uses in FY23 are projected to be $13.39 million with anticipated Revenue and Other Sources, $13.03 million. That would reduce the proposed budget’s balance from $3.65 million to $3.29 million.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Louisa County supervisors grant 3% salary increases
