The Shelby County Board of Supervisors have approved a wage increase for county employees. In a regular meeting this (Tuesday) morning, Tim Meyer, chairman of the compensation board, reported to the supervisors, the compensation board met on Tuesday, December 3^rd, and was requesting a 5 percent increase for employees in the county.

The compensation board started out two years ago with an aggressive campaign to raise the percentages of salaries in the county near the population rank of the county. In 2011, the county was in the 84^th in pay scale and 65^th in population. At the time, a 5 percent increase was approved by the board of supervisors and the same percentage was approved in 2012. Meyer said the compensation board discussed in great length and felt the 5 percent increase was appropriate. He proposed another 5 percent increase, 2 percent cost of living and 3 percent as a “catch up.”

Meyer said depending on what the state does, this increase would move Shelby County much closer to their population rank. “So based on the assumption they are going to do what they have done in the past, we would hope we would again climb 4, 5 maybe 6 spots to be in the 67, 68 range comparison to our population of 65. That would be a long ways in three years from where we were.”

Supervisor Steve Kenkel said some county officials are in the population range and the supervisors cannot choose individual employees. Kenkel said the recorder, auditor and treasurer are in the 75 range but the supervisors and sheriff are already near the population rank. After further discussion between Kenkel and Meyer, the supervisor made a proposal. It called for a two percent for the cost of living for everybody but then one and half percent for everybody else but the supervisors.”

The Shelby County Supervisors approved Kenkel’s motion for the 3.5% overall raise for the county employees and a 2 percent for the supervisors. In other business, four representatives from the Elk Horn Trails Committee gave a report to the supervisors about the ongoing efforts for the Elk Horn trail from Kimballton to Elk Horn. The committee has a total of $168,000 raised for the $500,000 project. The Elk Horn Trails requested $5,000 from the Supervisors. The Board approved half the request, $2,500. The same amount was granted to the West Central Community Action non-profit agency, which was the same amount given last year.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)