County commissioners get pay raise

Staff

Published Thursday, January 1, 2009

The Mower County Commissioners are not the highest paid county board.

Before Tuesday’s county board meeting, the commissioners ranked second to Rice County.

With Tuesday’s 3 percent raise, the Mower County Board retained its second-place ranking among 11 southeastern Minnesota counties.

In their last meeting of 2008, the Mower County commissioners adjusted everyone’s salary ... upward.

It began with a 3 percent increase for non-union county works.

New non-union health insurance rates will be $157.6- per month for VEBA coverage and $370 per month for the county’s basic plan. Single coverage under both plans is offered free of charge.

After hearing Dave Hillier, 3rd District, say the county board’s personnel committee had no recommendation to make for the commissioners’ annual salary, Ray Tucker, 2nd District, made a motion to increase the salaries by 3 percent.

Hillier seconded it and all five commissioners voted “aye.”

The commissioners’ salaries will increase in 2009 from $24,200 to $24,926.

Other elected officials’ salaries increased approved by the county board Tuesday included:

Mower County Attorney Kristen Nelsen: Current salary, $83,286. New salary, $89,093.

Nelsen was elected Mower County Attorney with a term commencing Jan. 1, 2007. After incumbent Mower County Attorney Patrick W. Flanagan resigned the office, Nelsen was appointed temporary Mower County Attorney Oct. 3, 2006. She was hired as an Assistant Mower County Attorney March 22, 2004.

• Mower County Recorder Sue Davis: Current salary, $66,057. New salary, $68,039.

Davis has been Mower County Recorder since Jan. 4, 1999. She was appointed Chief Deputy Mower County Recorder Jan. 1, 1995.

Davis has worked in the County Recorder’s office since Nov. 14, 1983. She has worked for Mower County since July 28, 1969.

Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi: Current salary, $83,083. New salary: $87,635.

Amazi has been Mower County Sheriff since Jan. 6, 2003. She was appointed Chief Deputy Sheriff Jan. 1, 1999. Previously, she was hired as a Deputy Sheriff Aug. 28, 1989 and began her employment with the County Aug. 1, 1988.

Mower County Auditor- Treasurer Doug Groh: Current salary, $64,038. New salary, $68,181.

Groh was elected Mower County Auditor-Treasurer with the term beginning Jan. 1, 2007 after the offices of Auditor and Treasurer were combined. He was elected Mower County Treasurer effective Jan. 6, 2003. He was appointed Chief Deputy Mower County Auditor/Accounting Technician Nov. 6, 1989.

All of the salary adjustments recommended by the personnel committee were approved.

The committee also recommended per diem of $40 remain as-is in 2009.

All elected officials’ terms are 4 years in length. The committee chairman, Hillier, said each official was interviewed and evaluated. An 11-county southeastern Minnesota salary survey of elected officials’ wages showed Rice County tops the list with an average salary of $28,504 for commissioners.

The lowest commissioners’ salary in the 11-county region is Dodge County, which pays its county board members an annual salary of $16,971.

The average salary of all county boards in the 11-county region is $21,078.

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