Last week, the Greene County Board of Supervisors approved the recommendation from the County Compensation Board for salary increases for elected officials.

The Supervisors approved a 13.5-percent increase for the sheriff and 6.5-percent increase for all other elected officials. Supervisor Chair John Muir tells Raccoon Valley Radio the Supervisors felt the Compensation Board had a thorough discussion before they came to their decision on the recommended increases.

“I think one thing that drives them and it drives us in all of our decisions with salaries is the people you want and the positions. You want to keep good people in the positions. You want to make it attractive that they choose to go into a service of the community, a service of society.”  

Muir adds the rate of inflation has also been a challenge when considering increases for anyone’s salary, including non-elected county officials. Muir reminds everyone that the reason the county sheriff’s salary increase was 13.5-percent has to do with the state law that county sheriffs must be paid within the same salary range as Iowa State Patrol administrative staff.