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County To Hire Independent Firm For Salary Survey
By Nathan Johnson
nathan.johnson@yankton.net
The Yankton County Commission decided Tuesday to hire an independent firm to conduct a salary survey of all its employees and set aside money for potential future salary adjustments.
Commissioners Bruce Jensen and Bill Tamisiea were appointed at the commission’s last meeting to study the wage structure of the county. During Tuesday’s meeting, they proposed hiring a firm to do an analysis and setting aside money in the 2009 budget for potential adjustments.
They suggested the study compare the county’s salaries to the local market and similar counties and cities. Also recommended was the formation of grades for jobs, a minimum and maximum range for each grade, a longevity program and a method to adjust the salary structure in three years.
The proposal was unanimously accepted by the commission.
“We’ve taken two steps here today that are important,” Commission Chairman Allen Sinclair said. “Number one, we authorized the study. Number two, we’ve set the money aside so we can do something with the study. We won’t come back, throw up our hands and say, ‘We don’t have any money.’”
Approximately $150,000 was set aside in the 2009 budget for adjustments. If needed, the commission will further adjust salaries in 2010 and 2011.
“We’ll see how significant the changes are,” Sinclair said after Tuesday’s meeting. “If they’re minor changes, maybe we’ll have more than enough money to cover it. If we don’t, we’ll phase it in over a period of years.”
The commission believes now is an appropriate time to address the issue, he added.
“We go all over the county trying to solve problems,” Sinclair said. “Maybe we need to look at our own house now to see if there are any problems in the budgets toward our staff. I think, typically, we’ve always felt Yankton County employees deserve raises. They’ve earned their raises. In the past, we have said we didn’t have the money to do that.”
The discussion of a salary study was spurred at the commission’s last meeting when Yankton County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Dangel requested a raise for taking on more duties. After his part-time deputy resigned, Dangel proposed that he take on many of that position’s responsibilities.
Also, Dangel asked that, because someone from emergency management has to be on call 24 hours a day, he be allowed to contract with four deputies who could fill in on some weekends.
While the commission agreed to compensate him with an extra $5,000 this year for the additional duties, they decided not to increase his salary for next year — at least not until the salary survey is complete.
It wouldn’t be fair to other department heads, commissioners said.
“We’re going to open up a can of worms here, and it’s not going to be good,” Jensen said. “We don’t have a springboard to go off of until we’ve got this study done. What have we got? We’re just shooting in the dark.”
Commissioners said they hope to have salary survey proposals soon so they can get the project under way.
In other business Tuesday, the commission:
• ironed out some details of its proposed 2009 budget;
• addressed some additional expenses for the Yankton County Courthouse and Safety Center renovation project;
• said an open house for the new jail is being tentatively planned for mid-October; and
• signed some highway grader leases.
Commissioners Bruce Jensen and Bill Tamisiea were appointed at the commission’s last meeting to study the wage structure of the county. During Tuesday’s meeting, they proposed hiring a firm to do an analysis and setting aside money in the 2009 budget for potential adjustments.
They suggested the study compare the county’s salaries to the local market and similar counties and cities. Also recommended was the formation of grades for jobs, a minimum and maximum range for each grade, a longevity program and a method to adjust the salary structure in three years.
The proposal was unanimously accepted by the commission.
“We’ve taken two steps here today that are important,” Commission Chairman Allen Sinclair said. “Number one, we authorized the study. Number two, we’ve set the money aside so we can do something with the study. We won’t come back, throw up our hands and say, ‘We don’t have any money.’”
Approximately $150,000 was set aside in the 2009 budget for adjustments. If needed, the commission will further adjust salaries in 2010 and 2011.
“We’ll see how significant the changes are,” Sinclair said after Tuesday’s meeting. “If they’re minor changes, maybe we’ll have more than enough money to cover it. If we don’t, we’ll phase it in over a period of years.”
The commission believes now is an appropriate time to address the issue, he added.
“We go all over the county trying to solve problems,” Sinclair said. “Maybe we need to look at our own house now to see if there are any problems in the budgets toward our staff. I think, typically, we’ve always felt Yankton County employees deserve raises. They’ve earned their raises. In the past, we have said we didn’t have the money to do that.”
The discussion of a salary study was spurred at the commission’s last meeting when Yankton County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Dangel requested a raise for taking on more duties. After his part-time deputy resigned, Dangel proposed that he take on many of that position’s responsibilities.
Also, Dangel asked that, because someone from emergency management has to be on call 24 hours a day, he be allowed to contract with four deputies who could fill in on some weekends.
While the commission agreed to compensate him with an extra $5,000 this year for the additional duties, they decided not to increase his salary for next year — at least not until the salary survey is complete.
It wouldn’t be fair to other department heads, commissioners said.
“We’re going to open up a can of worms here, and it’s not going to be good,” Jensen said. “We don’t have a springboard to go off of until we’ve got this study done. What have we got? We’re just shooting in the dark.”
Commissioners said they hope to have salary survey proposals soon so they can get the project under way.
In other business Tuesday, the commission:
• ironed out some details of its proposed 2009 budget;
• addressed some additional expenses for the Yankton County Courthouse and Safety Center renovation project;
• said an open house for the new jail is being tentatively planned for mid-October; and
• signed some highway grader leases.
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