Linn Co. Compensation Board remains dissolved

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Linn County Board of Supervisors has decided it will not bring back its county compensation board.

The Compensation Board is an independent committee that makes recommendations on the compensation of elected officials, including the supervisors themselves.

“It seems like a complicated chess match. That the comp. The board has to go through this process and present it to you (Linn County Board of Supervisors) and ultimately you decide what is going to happen,” said Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner.

That all changed in July when the Legislature decided to dissolve countywide statewide compensation boards when it was passed SF 2442, Division V.

But any county board of supervisors could reinstate comp boards if they wanted.

That’s something the sheriff says he doesn’t support. He said he can work directly with supervisors to help decide on raises.

“We’re just going to continue to get the information out to you, rather than taking it to the comp board,” Gardner said.

But Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks disagrees.

Maybanks said the Compsensation Board can effectively compare Linn County salaries to comparable positions elsewhere and ensure government jobs are competitive with the private sector.

“Making sure that they know that we have to stay competitive so that not only can we get the people that we need, but in the future someone else is going to have to have this job and we want to make sure that it’s filled by someone who is qualified and wants to do it,” Maybanks said.

There was no vote, but all three supervisors decided not to reappoint the board… leaving the process of salary increases entirely in their hands.

“To me, the biggest problem I have is that they (the County Compensation Board) don’t have to look at the entire budget when they give us their recommendation when they look at elected officials,” Kirsten, chair of the Linn County Board of Supervisors. Running-Marquardt said.

The Linn Co. Board of Trustees the board may reinstate it if it believes it should come back in the future.