Compensation board recommends double-digit raises for Linn County sheriff, attorney

Linn County's sheriff and top prosecutor may receive major raises this year if county supervisors adopt recommendations from the county's compensation board.

A $10,000 raise on top of  4-percent increases for both Sheriff Brian Gardner and County Attorney Jerry VanderSanden are justified by the need to bring their salaries into line with comparable government positions and private industry, said compensation board chairman Phil Klinger.

"It's a hard thing to determine for any of these officers what's a reasonable salary," said Klinger, a Cedar Rapids attorney named to the compensation board by County Treasurer Sharon Gonzalez. "I think the board's thoughts are that these salaries should be raised so they're more in conformance with what comparable people get in private industry."

The compensation board's recommendations, approved last week,  are on the agenda for supervisors' Monday work session, set for 10 a.m. at Linn County West in Westdale Mall.

The recommendation calls for a 4-percent raise across the board, with Gardner and VanderSanden receiving the additional $10,000, for the fiscal year starting next July 1.

That would mean an 11.1-percent raise for VanderSanden, who currently makes $140,033, and 12.7 percent for Gardner, whose current salary is $114,506.

"I was pleased with it," Gardner said of the recommendation. "I thought it was good, appropriate."

With 171 employees, 116 of them sworn officers, Linn County's is the state's second-largest sheriff's office. Gardner said he's the second-highest-paid sheriff, but 16th when compared with similar-sized local jurisdictions and the heads of such state agencies as the Iowa State Patrol, the Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

If approved, the recommendations would also mean pay increases for deputies and assistants whose pay is tied by law to their department heads'.

Last year, supervisors approved 5 percent raises for the sheriff and attorney and 3.75 percent for the auditor, treasurer, recorder and supervisors. There were no raises the previous two years.

"It's the third or fourth largest law firm in town," Klinger said of the county attorney's office."In order to get lawyers to stay there you've got to get salaries that are competitive."

Recorder Joan McCalmant, Auditor Joel Miller and Treasurer Sharon Gonzalez each make $90,908. The supervisors' current annual salary is $72,727.