NTF OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED COUNTY COMMISSIONER PAY INCREASES

NTF worksheet: douglascounty147.doc. 9-19.
NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED COUNTY COMMISSIONER PAY INCREASES: SEPT. 10, 2019.

Good morning
. Doug Kagan, 416 South 130 Street, representing NE Taxpayers for Freedom. We do understand that you all are dedicated to your work and spend long hours sometimes on daily and weekend board, department, and even regional and national business, but, notwithstanding, your job status is part-time. The board now uses a standard for pay raises by comparing the increases to those of employees and board members in other counties. We believe that this standard leads to an ever spiraling rise in employee salaries and benefits as government subdivisions race to keep up with others. Instead, we suggest that the board peg its total compensation increases to the Midwest urban cost of living and compensation indexes, the same indexes used by many private employers. Today, you are considering pay increases for 4 and 5 years in advance, too far in advance. We have no knowledge now how much the cost of living will increase or decrease by that time or the state of the economy.

In review
, this board voted itself a 3% pay boost in 2015 and a 3% pay hike in 2016. Then, a whopping 31% pay hike for the next 3 years. If you pass this new resolution, your salaries will have risen by 50% in 8 years (2017-2024), whereas the Midwest urban cost of living has risen by only 1.6% between 2017 and 8-19.

Meanwhile
, this board recently raised our property taxes by 5.3%. Raising your future salaries again at this time, earlier in the calendar year than usual, while hiking our property taxes, is like rubbing salt in taxpayer wounds. It is both impolitic and inconsiderate. We urge you to forego future salary increases at this time and instead work with taxpayers to establish a more formalized system of periodic pay increases.

Thank you.

12-15-15. To vote a 31% pay increase for county board members for 2017 and 2018.
YES (-): Boyle, Cavanaugh, Duda, Rodgers. NO (+): Borgeson, Morgan, Kraft.

12-5-17. To raise salaries for county commissioners from $37,303 to $58,356, a 56% increase. YES (-): Duda, Kraft, Rodgers. NO (+): Borgeson, Cavanaugh, Morgan.

12-12-17. To hike county commissioner salaries for 2019-2022 from $49,884 to $58,316. YES (-): Boyle, Duda, Kraft, Rodgers. NO (+): Borgeson, Cavanaugh, Morgan.

9-10-19. A proposal to raise county commissioner salaries: $60,107 in 2023 and $61,910 in 2024.

Previous post:

Next post: