At their annual meeting Monday, January 30, the Ringgold County Compensation Board recommended a series of salary increases for county elected officials.
After considerable discussion, the board recommended a 4 percent for the supervisors; a 6 percent increase for county recorder, auditor and assessor; a 10 percent increase for the county sheriff; and a 14 percent increase for the county attorney.
During the discussion county attorney Clint Spurrier asked board members to consider providing him a salary increase of approximately $6,455 per year over the next three years. Spurrier explained that he was already the lowest paid county attorney in the state, and the proposed increase would bring his Ringgold County salary in line with his salary as county attorney in Taylor County.
The bump in the sheriff’s salary helps retain deputies because, by Iowa code, deputies are paid a percentage of the sheriff’s salary. Sheriff Rob Haley said probationary deputies can be paid up to 75 percent of a sheriff’s salary, with regular deputies making up to 80 percent of the sheriff’s total. Chief deputies can earn up to 85 percent of the sheriff.
The salary recommendations are now passed along to the county board of supervisors for use in their budget deliberations. The supervisors may choose to reduce the recommendations in an effort to present a balanced budget.
