Commissioners access revenue sources, hold wage increases with goal to keep tax asking increase at 2%

YORK – This week, the York County Commissioners had another extensive session regarding the budget and wages, as they worked toward holding the tax asking at 2% or below. By accessing some alternative revenues sources/channels and holding wage increases to a certain percentage, it appears they may be able to achieve that goal.

​They have been trying to cut spending to get the percentage of increase of tax asking down, which has proved to be difficult due to hefty increases in casualty/property and health insurance costs.
They looked at wages this week – as they were to set wages/salaries for deputy officials (clerk, clerk of the district court, treasurer, assessor, public defender and county attorney), as well as for department heads (who are not elected) and employees within those departments not led by elected officials.
“I want to remind everyone these are people and not numbers, as these conversations are always tough,” said York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier.
Before this conversation began, the commissioners went into executive session, along with York County Highway Superintendent Harvey Keim and York County Attorney Gary Olson.
When they went back into regular session, they started work on the wages for deputy officials. They said they were working from recommendations made by the elected officials who oversee them.
“If someone is getting a raise, in general, the guideline has been in the past how it should be 3% across the board with everyone,” said Commissioner Daniel Grotz. “I feel no raise should exceed 3% unless there is a change in duties.”
They agreed to strike a raise/salary for a deputy public defender as one does not exist and there hasn’t been one in years.
No raise was given to the two deputy county attorneys.
The deputy treasurer’s wage will stay the same.
It was determined the deputy clerk’s and deputy clerk of the district court’s wages needed to be raised in order for them to come within a percentage of the elected official’s salary which is mandated by state law.
It was recommended by the assessor to give the deputy assessor a 7% increase in pay, but the commissioners held that raise to 3%.
When it came to the wages of employees within departments not led by elected officials, they went through each department, based on department heads’ recommendations.
Obermier noted the raises for those working in transportation/aging were higher than 3%, “but we are catching up on those.”
For the roads department, some increases were approved, with none exceeding 3%.
Some departments’ individuals’ wages stayed the same, based on recommendations from the department heads.
When it came to zoning, they agreed to raise the salary to $25,000 a year, “due to an increase in duties and the fact it has not been increased or changed in many, many years.” All the commissioners – with the exception of Grotz – voted in favor of this increase.
“Regarding the department heads, I commend them all for trying to treat employees right,” Grotz said. “Overall, I recommend leaving the managers’ wages where they were last year.”
Commissioner Andy Bowman said he agreed, but noted the weed superintendent’s salary had to be increased upon his certification, as was set out in the original agreement when the individual was recently hired.
It was agreed to give the director of the visitors bureau a 3% increase as the person now in that position has been “modernizing the department and a lot of new things are happening in that office,” as explained by Obermier.
They also agreed to give the courthouse maintenance director a raise of $1 an hour.
When it came to the budget itself, Obermier reminded the commissioners “we need to cut or find in revenue $188,000 to avoid the pink postcard meeting.”
The pink postcard meeting is required if the tax asking increase goes above 2%.
“Lowering the wage increases will help us there,” Obermier said, noting they already agreed to $690,000 coming from the inheritance tax fund for road department purchases and how $500,000 was already committed from that fund for previously agreed upon expenses. “If we get our average inheritance tax revenue, the balance in there will be near $4 million.”
They agreed to make a vehicle purchase from the inheritance fund for the sheriff’s office and to lower the payment to reserves.
They also agreed to keep the allocations to outside entities, like the York County Development Corporation, the Kilgore Library, York Adopt A Pet, CASA, Hope Crisis Center, Blue Valley, etc., the same as last year although most of them asked for increases.
“I don’t think the only reason to do this would be to avoid the pink postcard meeting, as we can certainly have one. It should be to lower our tax asking,” Grotz said.
“I also think, in the next year, we need to look at how to be as efficient, in all departments, as possible, as the year goes along,” Obermier said.
The numbers from the wages, and adjustments to benefits, were then to be calculated into the budget to see where they come out in the end – but for now, it appears they will be able to be within the realm of a 2% increase in tax asking.
If not, a pink postcard meeting will be set.