The right call on compensation board

Linn County supervisors have decided to skip appointing a county compensation board to advise them on pay for elected county officials and their staff,

Compensation boards were created to compare county wages to pay in other counties and in the private sector. Supervisors have the final say on whether to accept the board’s recommend action, reduce its wage recommendations or reject them.

Even though supervisors oversee approving a county budget, compensation boards recommend salary increases that often don’t account for a tight budget. Its members are appointed by the elected officials whose compensation is being evaluated, leading members to advocate raises for the officials who appointed them.

State lawmakers passed legislation dissolving county compensation boards, but counties still have the option to revive the system.

Given the track record of compensation boards locally, the supervisor’s decision makes sense.

Over the years, at moments when the public questioned supervisors’ pay, the compensation board would recommend large pay increases that seemed out of touch with taxpayer concerns about salaries.

During that time, we’ve repeatedly questioned the need for separate commission determining pay. Supervisors must approve a balanced budget. The county board can make scores of spending decisions, we see little reason for a separate body to recommend salary increases.

Supervisors are elected by taxpayers. Compensation boards are not.

"I have, for (all of) my career, wanted the comp board structure to change," said Supervisor Ben Rogers, according to reporting by The Gazette’s Jared Strong. Rogers was first elected in 2008. "I've wanted the board to be able, as elected officials, to make decisions based on the budget."

Supervisor Chairperson Kirsten Running-Marquardt pointed to potential state limits on property tax growth that would make even modest raises less affordable.

"The comp board did not take our budget into consideration at all, and that's, to me, the biggest reason not to have one," Supervisor Louis Zumbach said.

We agree. Supervisors who write the budget don’t need a middleman when it comes to salary decisions that weigh heavily on county spending.

Supervisors made the right call to put an important budget decision back in their hands.

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