Government, Linn County Crossroads
Up to 3 percent pay increase approved for Linn County managers
Posted on Nov 04, 2009 by Adam Belz.
The old guard on the Board of Supervisors flexed its majority muscle, and pounded home a measure that instructs county department leaders to budget for up to a three percent pay increase for about 140 Linn County managers.
The guidelines that will govern the county’s budget were passed 3-2, with Supervisors Linda Langston, Lu Barron and Jim Houser voting aye, and Brent Oleson and Ben Rogers dissenting.
Budgets are due to the supervisors Dec. 18, will be reviewed through the first part of 2010 and finalized in March.
Oleson, who has been advocating for “zero-based budgeting,” called the three percent guideline an “auto-pilot budget increase.” He wanted the supervisors to force county departments to start their budgets at zero and justify all their expenses by connecting what they do to their department’s original charter and mission statement.
Langston said “zero-based budgeting” could be useful in the future, but there isn’t time before Dec. 18 for the county to do it properly.
“I just don’t think we’re prepared at this moment in time,” she said, adding that it has already been difficult to get some department heads to turn in their budgets on time.
Instead of radical budget changes, Human Resources will do a better job of helping managers do job performance reviews, Langston said. Pay raises for managers will be “merit-based,” and the supervisors will work harder to make sure all expenditures are tied to the county’s strategic goals.
Oleson was unimpressed. He compared pay based on performance reviews to naming 40 class valedictorians. Used to be only one person was exceptional, he said, now everyone is.
“The managers are going to say ‘Everybody did great!’” he said.
He said he doesn’t want to have to explain to people who are getting laid off, furloughed, or having their pay frozen, that the county is increasing manager salaries by three percent for no clear reason.
Langston said county employees have taken a hit too, seeing a 30 percent increase in health care costs.
“Like everyone else in the world, they are taking a significant amount of erosion,” she said. “I have a goal of maintaining our employees.”
Add in the set-in-stone 3.5 percent pay increase for rank-and-file county workers in the union bargaining unit, and wages and benefits will increase by about $1 million at the county for the next fiscal year.
The supervisors also approved an operational budget target of 0 percent growth. Wages and benefits account for $57 million each year, more than half of Linn County’s budget.
Getting all they can before they get voted out. This BOS needs to go.
It is too bad the BOS didnt have to stand for election yesterday. Need recall elections in this state for sure.
Langston,Barron, and Houser have lost touch with reality…. difficult for dept heads to get budgets in on time? GET NEW DEPT HEADS!!
If I didnt get my budget turned in on time–I would be replaced. Many companies are having wage freezes to combat the reality of the economy.
Wish we could vote them out now!
We have State Troopers being laid off and they are talking about a raise???? I know it is a different state dept, but common.
common what? The common cold?
You have a valid point. Every level of government in Iowa is facing budget shortfalls, yet Linn County experiencing a budget surplus? Everyone else is being asked to hold the line on spending, our County employees should be no exception.
Linn County has budget surplus? Weren't they just on TV a couple of months ago lamenting the lose of tax dollars if they abated the flooded property taxes. They cried and cried at that time they didn't have any excess funds to make up the difference if they didn't collect taxes on flooded properties. Now they have excess?
if anyting I think they should be taking a 3% paycut, there are too many people struggling out there and being laid off that I think the Linn County managers can go without a pay raise.
Take gingko. Make sure you voters remember this betrayal at the next election. Oleson and Rogers stay, Langston, Barron, and Houser, aka the Three Clancy Stooges, go. Simple. Sadly, voters have short memories, which is why some City-Councilmembers-for-Life got re-elected.
That is a long standing problem not only locally but in the state also. People do not remember what these elected officials have done while in office and they rely on the campaign jabber to make a decision.
Langston, Barron and Houser. Remember those names.
Are you the same people that were going to vote all the city council out, well you failed at that. I think there are very few of you.
I don't live in the city, but I definitely vote when I can do so.
There was enough of us to keep one of the council from becoming Mayor.
well, i see three new people in the linn county board seats being filled in the next election. These guys just postpone lies. The state governor has asked to take a pay cut or suspend salary increases, apparently this does not affect Linn County. For any research or work to do, gets outsourced to an "analyst" or project group anyway. I would rather pay for a part-time police officer on the corner of Collins and Council to pass out traffic violations than gives these cronies another dime. $70,0000 a year for 20 hours worth of work a week at tops. I will remind voters of this poor leadership. Can we have a revote on this amazing board of directors? Until the public see it fit. We were confused the first time we elected you, we were mislead, and didn't understand your self fulfilling intentions, can we revote?
Let me see if I understand this, they are complaining because they are loosing revenue ie property taxes and things like that, and they may have to cut jobs, yet they give themselves a pay raise
Horse ***** vote these irresponsible people out of office
I wish people were required to be informed before they could post comments on these blogs. Here are the facts:
1. Linn County management and non-bargaining unit employees did not get raises last year – their pay was frozen.
2. The 3% being discussed now is for these same employees, NOT the Board of Supervisors or any other elected official in Linn County.
3. County government is not a state department.
Where is the difference?. Last year and this year, people have lost their jobs and many still are unemployed. Is it really too much to ask for them to just be glad they don't have to stand in line at Workforce and try to live with what they have?.
So you still feel they are justified in a blanket raise, economy and merits be damned? Merit-based is the only justified way these positions should ever see a raise – especially when the coffers are filled with taxpayers money…
your right your post should have been edited out……………..
SO Oleson has been advocating budget changes for awhile now, but at the 11th hour Langston claims there isn't enough time to study and implement it, also under the guise that they have trouble getting department heads to turn in their budgets on time?! So their decision is to REWARD those department heads with an automatic 3% raise! Is logic even a factor in their decisions any more?
Hugs
Thats far from voting all of them out you only changed one vote . The mighty Corbit is only one vote, that wont change much.
Adam, Obviously people are misunderstanding your article if they think the BOS are getting raises as R_C points out. You have the ability to make some clarifying comments. People may still disagree with the board's actions, which is fine. But at least they would disagree based on the correct facts. As it stands, this is simply an inflammatory article. Make all history majors proud and help others come to an understanding of the event that has occurred.
The old guard on the Board of Supervisors flexed its majority muscle, and pounded home a measure that instructs county department leaders to budget for up to a three percent pay increase for about 140 Linn County managers.
This is how this article starts.The point is that giving anyone a raise on the tax payers dime is a slap in the face to said tax payers who have to tighten their belts as unemployment is still high and they have no job security, much less any raises.
is "old guard" code word for democrats ? why yes it is. im not saying that the republicans would do any better, but you really need to get a better balance on that board. right now you have one "republican" and the rest are liberal democrats…. we need more people who will stalemate these nutty ideas.