Fact Checker: Tim Gull and the cost of Linn County supervisors

Introduction

'We the taxpayers of Linn County are paying $2.7 million to five Linn County supervisors for one term of service. This is an obscene amount of money for what once was, and should be, part time work.'

Source of claim: Tim Gull, R-Cedar Rapids, a candidate for the District 3 seat on the Linn County Board of Supervisors in a May news release.

Analysis

Gull argues that Linn County taxpayers spend too much money on their five-member Board of Supervisors, to the tune of $2.7 million over the course of one term in office. He cited data he received in November from the Linn County Auditor's Office.

Becky Shoop, first deputy auditor, said the data pulled last fall focused on supervisor pay, benefits, cellphone reimbursements and travel expenses from November 2014 to November 2015.

Annual pay for a Linn County supervisor is $100,862. Benefits and cellphone reimbursements differ slightly depending on coverage plans and usage, but for the most part each supervisor comes in at about $35,000, the data shows.

These are the numbers Gull used as well. He added the annual cost for the combined five supervisors — about $675,000 — over a supervisor's regular term of four years to reach his $2.7 million claim.

The topic of supervisor pay has been ongoing for years in Linn County.

The board increased from three to five members following a 2006. In 2009, the board agreed to drop its pay to 80-percent time. Four years later, the board reverted to full time pay, and earlier this year approved a budget that will bring a supervisor's pay to more than $103,000 this July.

Members of local group, Concerned Citizens of Linn County, are collecting signatures on a petition that seeks to reduce the board from five supervisors back to three. The group needs more than 8,600 valid signatures to put the item before voters.

It should be noted opponents to a smaller board — which includes current board members — have argued that a reduction in supervisors would require the hiring of a county administrator to pick up lost responsibilities.

And, if the board dropped to three supervisors, would that put money back into taxpayers' pockets?

Funds for supervisor salaries and benefits come out of the county's general fund.

Property taxes generate about 58 percent of the county's approximately $108 million budget, while the remainder comes from other sources like state and federal grants, local-option sales tax and charges for services, according to data presented at the Linn County Fiscal Year 2017 public hearing.

Dawn Jindrich, the county's budget director, said a reduction in money spent on supervisor pay — or any reduction in county expenses — doesn't necessarily translate to lower taxes.

The board has maintained its $6.14 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value levy rate for the last three years.

Ultimately, levy decisions are made by the supervisors, but Jindrich said savings in the past typically have gone toward unfunded needs.

'I wouldn't expect the change in wages to directly change that levy rate, it would just increase (the board's) resources,' she said.

Conclusion

In Gull's statement, he is not only factoring in salaries but also the cost of benefits of the entire board over their individual four-year terms. Although benefit costs can fluctuate, his $2.7 million calculation is based on recent actual costs.

While only voters can measure his larger argument about the value of board time, the Fact Checker gives his mathematical claim an A.

Criteria

The Fact Checker team checks statements made by an Iowa political candidate/office holder or a national candidate/office holder about Iowa, or in advertisements that appear in our market. Claims must be independently verifiable. We give statements grades from A to F based on accuracy and context.

If you spot a claim you think needs checking, email us at factchecker@thegazette.com.

This Fact Checker was researched and written by Mitchell Schmidt.