Keokuk, IA – The Lee County Compensation Board is recommending 2% raises for the five county supervisors. The recommendation also covers the county attorney, auditor, recorder, sheriff, and treasurer.
The increases would take effect July 1.
A wage freeze for the supervisors and a 5% increase for the other elected leaders were rejected by the compensation board prior to the motion to increase wages by 2%.
The Board of Supervisors will make the final decision, though, on salaries.
The panel can accept the raises as presented or decrease them. The only thing the supervisors cannot do is increase them.
The Iowa Legislature gave the supervisors a third option last spring. They can decrease their own salaries and leave the other 5 elected leaders alone.
The supervisors have told the county's budget director to continue work on next year's spending plan without factoring in the raises. The panel plans to discuss the raises at a later date.
A decision must be made before Lee County's budget is certified in mid-March.
Other counties
The Van Buren County Compensation Board is recommending a wage freeze for all elected leaders.
The Des Moines County Compensation Board is recommending a .48% increase for the members of the board of supervisors and a 1% raise for every other elected leaders. Supervisor Jeff Heland says the board based its recommendation on comparable salaries for similar-sized counties