Tap the brakes on elected officials’ pay hikes in Linn County and Johnson County

Local politicians in Eastern Iowa could get double-digit pay increases next fiscal year under recent recommendations from their county boards.

Who among their constituents is getting such a steep pay bump next year? Probably not many of us. While there is some nuance in the figures, the idea of double-digit raises for elected officials has terrible optics.

The Johnson County Compensation Board is recommending a staggering 18 percent increase for members of the Board of Supervisors and elected department chiefs. Salaries for the five supervisors — who are classified as three-quarter time employees — would jump to more than $100,000, compared to a local median salary of a little more than $60,000.

In Linn County, the compensation board has authorized raises between 8 and 12 percent. The three full-time supervisors’ pay would surge to about $128,000, nearly twice the county’s median income.

Elected officials’ salaries should be just high enough to ensure a reasonable quality of life and attract decent people to serve. We think those conditions are easily met under current rates.

There are a few factors that complicate the compensation situation for sheriffs, auditors and count attorneys.

The “back the blue” law passed by the Iowa Legislature last year requires sheriffs’ salaries to be “comparable” to other law enforcement administrators. Another recent law threatens felony charges against auditors who violate state guidance, carrying steep penalties and legal fees. And in Johnson County, the county attorney said she was until recently misinterpreting a cap on her position’s salary, The Gazette’s Izabela Zaluska reported.

Another issue is that some hired deputies’ compensation is based on the higher-ups’ salaries. So, some increases might be necessary but 18 percent is outrageous.

The compensation boards set recommendations but supervisors can and should approve smaller raises. To their credit, Johnson County supervisors at a work session this week said they favor a rate more in line with unelected employees’ single-digit raises.

Last year, Linn County officials approved zero percent raises for the current fiscal year, they noted at a recent meeting covered by The Gazette’s Gage Miskimen. Alas, many of their constituents also didn’t get a raise this year. Even with the one-year pay freeze, their salaries are more than adequate for the work they do

Elected officials’ salaries should be just high enough to ensure a reasonable quality of life and attract decent people to serve. We think those conditions are easily met under current rates.

There is good news for politicians who think their pay is insufficient — Iowa has plenty of open jobs. If they think they can do better in the private sector, we encourage them to pursue it.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com