Answers: Supervisor Pay

Linn County Board of Supervisors now earn more than $100,000 each for full-time work. Are the salaries and the hours warranted?

FROM OUR INBOX

My husband & I had been residents of Linn County until 2.5 years ago, when we left the state after retiring. While we had family and friends in Cedar Rapids, we made the decision to move to southern Missouri because the cost of living and taxes are much lower here.

Even though the salaries of the Linn County supervisors did not play a direct role in our decision to relocate, this type of thing is a reason that we did. We could no longer afford to pay the taxes needed to support high government salaries nor could we support the decisions that were made relating to flood recovery (ie: the new library, the new central fire station, the new school administration building) among other things. The spending in Linn County was out of control (and the decision to pay the supervisors such outrageous salaries would fall into the category of ridiculous), so we felt it best for our financial well-being to move out of state. We are happy that we did.

We would suggest that the supervisors go back to part time, along with a salary that is more in line with other county supervisors in comparable sized communities.

Kathi S.

Nixa, MO

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Supervisors:

1) should still be part time positions in Linn County

2) should be paid in a similar fashion to other part time supervisors in other (non-Polk) counties and

3) never be allowed to raise their own salaries.

The last thing this county needs is this kind of cash/benefits outlay to impinge on other real needs the citizens have.

Michael J.

Cedar Rapids

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BY PHONE

No it's not. They should go back to 50 percent [time]. The city council does that and they do a fine job.

Corey M.

Cedar Rapids

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FROM Facebook

' Sylvia S.: Must be nice to be able to give themselves a raise. We on Social Security can't do that we got $22.00 at the most.

' Tammy A.: Let the voters decide on the raises throw that on the ballots in November!

' Miriam A.: Voting themselves a pay raise - is the fox in charge of the henhouse! How do I sign up?

' Kate T.: I don't even make close to $50,000 a year, and I work two full time jobs. There are a lot of people in Linn Co. who barely make it by. Our taxes pay their wages. It is so wrong.

' Thomas F.: Wish we could give ourselves a raise every year.

' Frank S.: $80,000/year is plenty! They are not in a 'free enterprise” business. They are paid by taxpayers and also need to be limited to terms of 10 years at the maximum.

' Tammy O.: They should not be able to give themselves raises.

' Judy L.: No one in an elected position should make that much. I don't see any reason for them to be full time.

' Timothy H.: I do believe that they make too much money. $50,000 is more than fair. But you all have to give credit where it is due. Ben Rogers is a county supervisor and voted against the raise.

' Deb W.: Pay for number of hours actually doing official business and no where near what they just gave themselves. But feel no one in politics should vote themselves a raise.

' Jacob C.: Emphatically no! Should be an unpaid or low paid part time position.

' Melissa P.: They don't need that much money. And they shouldn't be able to vote themselves raises. Half that would be adequate.

' Kim T.: Wouldn't we all like to vote ourselves a raise! Each time the supervisors vote themselves a raise the citizens of the county have a hissy fit. I don't think the issue is the amount of the raise (2 percent) but the fact that they vote it in for themselves. Why not let the citizens of the county approve or not approve a raise for the supervisors?

' Rich R.: Three supervisors (1 urban, 1 rural and 1 at-large) would seem to be adequate. But, that train left the station years ago.

' Darrell A.: Without speaking to the value of their efforts (and I believe they are a hard working, dedicated group) this pay increase seems to be a bit tone deaf given the recent, significant raise from part-time to full-time just a couple years ago.

' Jon I.: As for five or three members, absolutely stay with five. I live in Dallas County and we only have three. Most of the citizens would love to have five for better representation.

' Mike T.: No. Just because Des Moines does it doesn't mean we should, especially considering we don't have the population base to support it.

' Ben M.: Their current pay is outrageous and out of touch with the average family in the very county they serve. You shouldn't hit the lottery for being a county supervisor.

' Nicole S.: I want a supervisor position.