Board moves on without higher wage increase

Board of Supervisors
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     With a full board of five, the Jones County Supervisors continued discussion on increasing Lisa Mootz’s salary during their Feb. 21 meeting.

     The board originally approved a 3.5 percent pay increase for Mootz, but chose to revisit it after Supervisor Joe Oswald realized she should not have been grouped with other single department heads.

     After Oswald made the motion to approve a 5 percent increase for Mootz, Supervisor Lloyd Eaken seconded the motion to move the discussion along. However, the vote failed 1-4, with Oswald the only board member for it. The rest were opposed.

     “My main question,” proposed Eaken, who was absent during the discussion at the last meeting, “is if we open it up to include one particular individual’s salary do we open it up to others asking for the same consideration?” Eaken said action like this could set precedence.

     Oswald said his reasoning behind the consideration was due to the fact that several other county offices took the time to offer support in Mootz’s favor. He said Mootz also presented comparables to support a higher pay increase.

     “But do we create a problem by opening it up?” questioned Eaken.

     Supervisor Jon Zirkelbach said on the flip side, there are other offices that are governed by boards that help set their pay increases.

     “My feelings still haven’t changed,” said Zirkelbach of not giving higher increases than what were initially approved several weeks ago. Supervisor Wayne Manternach said his thoughts had not changed either, wanting to stick with the 3.5 percent.

     Supervisor Ned Rohwedder agreed. “A 3.5 percent increase is more than adequate,” he said.

     The board agreed that before the next budget work sessions they would look at providing step increases for certain county employees, those running a single department by themselves.

     “It puts single departments at a disadvantage,” he said.

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