Supervisors’ raise not fiscally responsible

Effective July 1, Linn County supervisors' annual salary will increase from $74,362 to $92,953, a 25 percent increase.

The increase was supported by the Linn County Compensation Board, whose members are appointed by the supervisors and other county officials. Iowa Code Section 331.907 states: “The county compensation board annually shall review the compensation paid to comparable officers in other counties of this state, other states, private enterprise, and the federal government.”

With this increase, our supervisors will be paid 95 percent more per resident than Polk County (Des Moines) supervisors (based on 2011 Census population) and 79 percent more than Blackhawk (Waterloo) and Scott (Davenport) county supervisors.

Linn County's supervisors and compensation board can and should act fiscally responsibly with taxpayer's money by agreeing to bring their salaries in line with comparable other county supervisors, as state law recommends.

Tom Pyron

Cedar Rapids