Commissioners hesitate to raise officials' salaries

The Board of County Commissioners is hesitant to raise the salaries of elected officials across the board after recent discussion following the passing of House Bill 91.

A group of elected officials came before the county commissioners during the April 5 meeting to discuss the possibility of raising the salaries of all elected officials in the county. The discussion was continued at this Tuesday’s meeting, where multiple commissioners expressed their hesitance to raise all the salaries.

The discussion began after the passage of House Bill 91 in the Wyoming legislature, which says elected county officials should receive as annual salaries “not more than the salary authorized for a circuit court judge.”

A circuit court judge salary is $145,000 annually, making this the new maximum amount elected officials can be paid, effective Jan. 2, 2023.

Dave Divis, the county assessor, spoke on behalf of the representatives at the April 5 meeting.

“We are all on board with the sheriff and the county attorney making the maximum,” Divis said. “We as a group feel like that’s really what the intent of this legislation was.”

The sheriff and county attorney positions have been historically low, which is the reason the legislation originated, according to Divis, who said Sweetwater County’s sheriff and county attorney both have employees under them who make more than they do.

“It’s leaking into other departments,” Divis said, pointing out the county clerk also has employees who make more than her.

Because of this and because of additional responsibilities they face, Divis told the commissioners the elected officials believe $135,000 annually is “a good number for these salaries.”

During the discussion, comparisons were made to county department heads in terms of salaries and differences in responsibilities.

Chairman Jeff Smith pointed out department heads have divisions and differences in salaries based upon responsibilities, but pointed out the elected officials were essentially saying they were all similar enough for the same salary to be good across the board.

“I have a hard time that every elected official’s office makes the same amount because they have different scopes of duties, different levels of supervision,” Commissioner Roy Lloyd said.

Lloyd reiterated the point at this week’s meeting, saying he struggles with the idea of moving all elected officials’ salaries from $100,000 to $135,000. He pointed out the comparison to department heads’ salaries is “not an apple to apple comparison” and said elected officials’ salaries are for a position, not an individual. When it comes to salary comparisons across the state of Wyoming, Lloyd noted, Sweetwater County is already paying more than Natrona County and Laramie County, which are both bigger in population.

“I do appreciate all of our elected officials,” Lloyd said. “I think they have very tough jobs. . . . I just have a hard time justifying what was presented to us as a raise increase.”

Commissioners Mary Thoman and Lauren Schoenfeld both agreed with Lloyd’s comments and added a Cost of Living Adjustment could be considered but they couldn’t justify such a large increase in salary.

The commissioners decided to table any decision on elected officials’ salaries until the May 4 meeting so that Commissioner Randy Wendling, who was absent from Tuesday’s meeting, could also weigh in on the discussion.

 

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