(Spirit Lake)– Dickinson county supervisors Tuesday re-visited salary increases approved during last week’s meeting for elected and non-elected employees for the upcoming fiscal year.
Supervisor Steve Clark made a motion last week for a three percent raise for elected and non-elected workers, including the board of supervisors. That motion passed 3-2 with supervisors Levi Markwardt and Steve Dullard voting no, saying NO increase should be given to the supervisors. It came on the heels of another motion last week by Supervisor Kim Wermersen for a 3.5 percent increase for elected and non-elected employees, including the supervisors, which failed for lack of a second.
The supervisors this (Tues.) morning voted to rescind last week’s actions, wiping the slate clean.
Clark requested today’s (Tues.) special meeting saying he wanted to re-visit the three percent raise for supervisors, adding he wasn’t pressured into any reconsideration…
“If we can be in agreement, and this is where I felt that I fell down in my duty last week, I don’t think that we debated the supervisors raise enough. I felt that I should have asked each one of the four of you, is there any compromise in the difference between none and three and three and-a-half or whatever. Kim proposed three and-a-half, I proposed three. Is there any compromise, is there anything that will satisfy both sides?”
Following some discussion at today’s (Tues.) meeting, Clark made a motion for a 3.5 percent increase for all elected and non-elected officials and a two percent increase for supervisors with a $1,000 stipend for the chairman. The motion died for lack of a second. Markwardt and Dullard remained steadfast on their call for a zero percent increase for supervisors. Markwardt then made a motion for a 3.5 percent increase for elected and non-elected officials, with a zero percent increase for supervisors and a $1,000 stipend for the board chairman. That motion passed 5-0.
Following the vote, Clark said he would like to see a complete overhaul in how wage increases are arrived at, saying he has concerns over the percentage system the county currently uses…
“If somebody comes in, generally they start at a lower wage until they get adapted to the job, and if we continue to give just percentage raises right between the high wage and the low wage, it continually grows. I think as a board we need to look forward. There are different ways out there.”
He proposed going with a range-based system, adding it would give department heads some discretion in the matter. Supervisor Kim Wermersen expressed concern with that…
“I would suggest that you talk to department heads prior to pushing something like that because one of the big challenges is morale in an office, morale within the courthouse. I suggest that you talk with them before you put that on them. Say Steve you get an increase and Levi you’re not going to get an increase. We know what it’s like in here morale-wise.”
There was no action taken on that matter during today’s (Tues.) meeting.
