The Saline County Commission met on November 19th to discuss potential changes to elected officials' salaries.
Philip Hayes from the Arnold Group presented findings from a limited study on compensation options for five elected positions: County Attorney, Clerk, Register of Deeds, Treasurer, and Sheriff.
Hayes outlined six main options for the commission to consider:
- A resolution previously proposed in April 2024
- Continuing with the current salary structure
- Three variations of using the existing salary scale but adjusting starting points
- Comparing salaries to other counties
- Implementing a new grading system
- Conducting a comprehensive salary study for all county positions
Hayes recommended either option 3A or 3B, which would use the existing salary scale but start elected officials at the midpoint rather than step one. He cited compliance and fairness to other county employees as reasons for this recommendation.
Commissioners expressed concerns about the potential budget impact, which could be up to $80,000 annually. They also discussed the timing of any changes, with the suggestion of implementation waiting until the next election cycle.
Commissioner Vidricksen voiced support for option 6, a full overhaul of the county's pay system. He stated, "I do think there needs to be a set amount...going forward."
No final decisions were made at the meeting. The commission agreed to continue discussions, possibly in future study sessions, as addressing the pay system was identified as a goal in their recent visioning process.
The presentation was described as informational, with Commissioner Shadwick noting, "My hope is a next commission will be able to, four years from now, have the information to make it more competitive.
