Supervisors accept Comp. Board’s salary recommendation

   Typically, the Jones County Board of Supervisors acts on the Compensation Board's recommendations for elected officials' salaries during their budget sessions in February or March. In an effort to assist department heads in preparing their budgets, the board took action during their Jan. 3 meeting.

   On Dec. 21, the Compensation Board met and approved, by a vote of 4-3, the following salary increases (as reported in the Jan. 4 Express):

   • 8 percent increase for County Attorney, a salary of $127,810.50

   • 8 percent increase for Sheriff, a salary of $131,158.16

   • 6 percent increase for County Auditor, a salary of $81,113.49

   • 6 percent increase for County Treasurer, a salary of $79,601.27

   • 6 percent increase for County Recorder, a salary of $76,782.59

   • 6 percent increase for County Supervisors, a salary of $34,526.61

   Several county department heads were present during the Jan. 3 meeting to see where the supervisors stood on the Comp. Board's recommendation.

   Supervisor Joe Oswald noted the board needed to act "for budget preparation purposes for the benefit of elected officials."

   "Otherwise, we'll have to re-calculate (our budgets) down the road," offered Treasurer Amy Picray.

   The board ultimately accepted the Comp. Board's recommendation, but not before hearing from Auditor Whitney Hein on the county's taxable valuations.

   Hein reported that the county's taxable valuation increased by 2 percent over last year.

   "If the county kept the same levy rates as Fiscal Year 2023, the growth in tax dollars would be $214,933," she explained.

   With the 2-percent increase, for assessment year 2022, the total taxable valuation is $1,257,001,032. For comparison, in assessment year 2021, the valuation was $1,232,785,128.

   Hein also shared that there was 16.32 percent decrease in commercial valuation and a 6.6 percent decrease for industrial.

In other county business:

   • County Engineer Derek Snead gave an update on the new Temple Hill shop.

   "It's progressing," he told the board.

   There is one functioning garage door that's been installed. The office space inside has been finished off.

   • Three bids came in for the County Road E-34 HMA resurfacing project.

   Mathy Construction was the lowest bidder at $1,501,148.88 and was awarded the project.

   "The bids were fairly tight," Snead noted.

   The project budget is at $1.75 million. This includes approximately $462,000 in safety funds Snead was awarded for the project. About $1 million will be the county's share, with $80,000 coming from the federal reserve account and $200,000 from the farm-to-market account.