County To Adjust Wages For GIS Department

Clayton Vine, coordinator of Roosevelt County’s Geographical Information System’s department, discussed his concerns with the wage scale for his duties during a meeting on Jan. 2.

In a letter to commissioners, Vine noted that his current salary doesn’t meet his expectations. He explained that when he came over to GIS in 2007, commissioners agreed to use the road department’s wage scale for the new department.

“That was 16 and a half years ago,” Vine wrote. “My point is that 16 and a half years since I have not had more than the COL raises. GIS was a new department that was set up under the commissioners and the pay scale was grafted off the road department as a pay structure as a starting point to get the 911 system functioning.”

He noted that Roosevelt County is paying an outside company more than $80 an hour to work on the Next Gen 911 project.

“I feel that Roosevelt County is taking advantage of my skills and knowledge without proper compensation. I have worked for Roosevelt County for 28 and a half years and it has been 16 years since I have had a true raise. I am kindly asking you to set up a pay scale for the GIS department and a pay raise today,” Vine said.

Commissioner Gordon Oelkers said that Lewis and Clark County has established a matrix for its GIS work. He feels Roosevelt County can definitely work on a grading system.

Oelkers added that Vine has been provided more than a cost of living increase because his pay is based on salary increases to elected officials.

Commissioners agreed that a salary schedule for Vine and an assistant position should be created by July 1. Officials noted that it’s important that Vine starts training somebody in the department.

“We need to do some adjusting, there’s no doubt about that,” Commissioner Gary Macdonald said.