Eleven Mower Countians made history Tuesday.

They were the first appointees to the Mower County elderly services advisory committee.

Another personnel matter did not go as smoothly.

The new committee is a creation of the county commissioners, who have designated $5,000 a year for the next five years to fund the committee's efforts. The money comes from the county's reserve fund balances.

The committee was recommended by a long-range strategic planning initiative under taken by the county commissioners with citizen input.

The purpose of the new committee is to consult the county commissioners on specific elderly issues.

Each committee member will be paid a per diem for each meeting attended and will be given mileage reimbursement.

The first meeting is expected in January 2003.

The new committee members are Cathie Sayles, Nancy Gerber, Phyllis VanDenover, Jack Dunlop, Arnold Lang, Donald DeYoung, Virgil Layton, Beverly Bothun, Edward Ziemer, Betty Lewis and Judy Schaefer.

Only two of the committee members are from outside Austin and a minority are men, despite the efforts of the county officials to seek a gender balance and a far-ranging geographic representation of the county.

Al Cordes, human resource director, attempted to recruit members for the committee. Only 16 applications were received.

The members will serve three-year staggered terms.

Cummings votes 'nay'

Mower County Commissioner David Hillier, 3rd District, had the task of pitching another pay raise for county employees before the county board Tuesday.

According to Hillier, the county conducted a comparable worth study of employees' pay in 2000 and implemented the results.

However, Hillier added, "Some peculiarities are occurring."

When certain employees receive a percentage increase, it can result in only an actual increase of one-cent or five-cents per hour, according to Cordes.

Cordes convinced the personnel committee, headed by Hillier, to approve a new procedure for adjusting certain employees' pay, when they are reclassified.

Ray Tucker, 2nd District commissioner, was skeptical of the idea. Richard P. Cummings, 1st District commissioner, was even more skeptical.

"Can't you end up giving some people a 6 percent increase, when you're only trying to give them a 3 percent increase like the rest of them?" Tucker asked.

Cordes agreed it could happen.

"I question why that should happen," Cummings said.

Both Cordes and Hillier went to work showing the skeptics and other commissioners how the new math would work when adjusting employees pay, but Cummings tried his own math and discovered, "There are some cases when an employee could get a raise of $1.40 an hour under your plan."

Craig Oscarson, county coordinator, said, "Extra duties and new responsibilities are why reclassifications are made."

Oscarson added in defense of the proposed changes, "Some oddities do occur."

Len Miller, 4th District commissioner, had his own solution.

"Get rid of the entire step system. That's the easiest and most painless way," he said.

Hillier went ahead and made a motion to approve Cordes' recommendations to adjust pay. He amended his motion to make the action retroactive to Oct. 1.

Garry Ellingson, 5th District and a former long-time county employee, seconded it.

The quick action prompted Tucker to observe, "I wonder who we just reevaluated to deserve this?"

That information, according to Cordes, is kept from the county board members and only the personnel committee can obtain it.

Miller, county board chair, said that was a good idea.

"If you get too close to something like this, it can come around and bite you. trust me on this," he said.

Hillier said part of the reason for the change was it "removes all possible favoritism from the county board members."

When the vote was taken, Hillier, Ellingson, Miller and Tucker voted for it. Cummings voted against it. The motion passed.

Hillier's final comments were that the adjustments would only be made when employees are reevaluated and "those situations are at a minimum now."

The county board will decide compensation for all elected officials, including themselves, at their first meeting in the new year.

Lee Bonorden can be reached at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com