The Johnson County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a decrease to the proposed salaries for themselves and other elected officials during Wednesday’s work session.

County supervisors, treasurer, and auditor will receive a 1.56 percent salary increase, the county attorney will receive a 2.5 percent salary increase, and the sheriff will receive a 1.8 percent salary increase. 

The previous salary recommendations came from the Johnson County Compensation Board at its meeting on Dec. 21, 2022, which were: 

• A 16 percent increase for the county attorney
• A 10 percent increase for the county auditor, recorder, treasurer, and supervisor
• A 12 percent increase for the sheriff. 

RELATED: Johnson County Board of Supervisors lower proposed salary increases for elected officials

Vice-chair Rod Sullivan and supervisors Jon Green and V Fixmer-Oraiz approved the reductions. 

Chair Lisa Green-Douglass originally proposed lowering the increases to a quarter of each proposed number during the Wednesday meeting, and her proposal was supported by Supervisor Royceann Porter. 

Johnson County Compensation Board Chair Brian From said the proposed increases accounted for two things: the increase in the rise of living and a raise.

Last year, county supervisors approved a 2.25 percent increase for themselves and a 4.42 percent increase for all other elected officials including the county attorney, recorder, auditor, treasurer, and recorder. 

During the discussion on proposed salaries, Sullivan voiced frustration with how salaries are decided.

“The recommendation they give to us and the way in which you have to deal with it is if you cut the top one down to 2.5 [percent], obviously people are getting less than that or not getting 2.5 [percent],” Sullivan said.

Fixmer-Oraiz shared a similar sentiment.

“I think that across the board, it would be great if we could just all have a 2.5 [increase]. Obviously, that’s not the way the system is set up, and so it makes it difficult to try and then say, ‘the sheriff and the county attorney are gonna get more than that,’” they said. “That’s why it’s certainly difficult to make this decision.”

In Linn County, proposed increases were 12 percent for the county sheriff and attorney and 10 percent for all other elected officials. The increases there were to account for inflation and make the salaries competitive.

Fixmer-Oraiz also said they wanted to make reforms to the current system of how supervisors and officials are determined. Supervisors discussed holding a joint meeting between elected officials and the compensation board later this year, potentially as early as June or July.