County Commissioners Address Salaries Of Elected Officials
Roosevelt County’s elected officials will see an increase of $2,600 to their salaries for the upcoming fiscal year, after a meeting of the county’s compensation board.
The increase amounts to $1 an hour or 2.3 percent for employees in deputy positions. The base salary for the clerk and recorder’s position increased from $71,237 to $73,837. Other elected officers’ salaries are based on the clerk and recorder’s salary.
There will not be any additional cost of living adjustments added to the salaries.
The compensation board, which consists of one resident representative and three elected officials, recommended the amount. Commissioners approved the proposal during their meeting on Thursday, June 19.
At the start of the compensation board meeting, Commissioner Gordon Oelkers reported that the rate of inflation is 2.5 percent and the consumer pricing index is 2.92 percent. Oelkers mentioned the county also provides the full medical premium on its insurance plan along with a retirement system.
He added that while most Montana counties have enjoyed an increase of mill levy values, Roosevelt County’s mill value has remained about the same for the last 10 years. Because of that, Roosevelt County is limited as far as how much it can afford for salaries.
“We have the saving grace that we have oil,” Oelkers said.
Commissioners originally proposed an increase of $1 per hour for elected officials. Their belief is that a dollar amount is more fair than a percentage to all employees.
“What happens here is we’re trying to hold it true for everybody,” Commissioner Robert Toavs said.
Oelkers added, “If you do percent all the time, people on the top receive more than the bottom.”
Toavs noted that he’s very mindful that it’s the taxpayers’ hard-earned money that fund salary increases.
County treasurer Betty Romo said that the offer is basically not a pay raise, but a COLA for all employees.
Toavs said that he feels the salary proposal is in line with other larger businesses in the area.
