Logan County Finance Committee discusses elected official salaries - sheriff, treasurer and county clerk

[April 12, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

On Tuesday, April 10, the Logan County Board’s Finance Committee held its monthly meeting. The main discussion was about setting salaries for the treasurer, county clerk, and sheriff.

Finance Committee members present at the meeting were Committee Chairman David Hepler, Vice Chairman Janet (Dahmm) Estill, Board Chairman Chuck Ruben, Dave Blankenship, Bob Farmer and Gene Rohlfs. Guests in attendance were board members Kevin Bateman, Emily Davenport and Annette Welch, and other Logan County officials including Chief Deputy County Clerk Theresa Moore, Treasurer Penny Thomas, Sheriff Steve Nichols, Deputy Mark Landers and Coroner Bob Thomas.

The current salaries for these positions are $72,000 for the County Clerk and Recorder, $65,500 for the Treasurer, and $80,480 for the Sheriff. These offices will be filled by newly elected officials after November’s election; though Penny Thomas was appointed to the treasurer position when Logan County Treasurer Vicki Dugan retired May 31, 2017.

Committee members and board members had several different ideas for setting new salaries for these positions.

Finance Committee Chairman David Hepler said he wants salaries for the county clerk and treasurer to both be $70,000 and the sheriff’s salary to be $80,000.

Committee member Gene Rohlfs said he would like to see the county clerk and treasurer salaries “evened out” and the sheriff salary at a set percentage, so that there is system for the future. That way the people running for an office know what the salary would be.

Rohlfs said he would like to set the county clerk and treasurer salaries at $65,000 and the sheriff’s salary at $78,000. He does not want salaries set based on personalities.

Committee members Dave Blankenship and Bob Farmer both said they are in favor of freezing salaries for the next four years. Board member Scott Schaffenacker said freezes on salaries were discussed at the Safety Committee meeting and salary freezes seemed favorable to both the sheriff and treasurer.

Board member Kevin Bateman said if they reduced all three salaries by five percent the first year and then increased them by two percent the next few years, it would save the county more money than freezing the salaries. He said the savings would be about $11,400.
Board member Annette Welch said if the salaries are reduced, she would also like to see amounts raised in increments, so they earn the money back over the years.

After more discussion about the salaries, Board Chairman Chuck Ruben asked committee members to withdraw any previous motions and bring forward three separate motions for the salaries. Ruben said legally, the board must set a specific salary for the next four years.

Blankenship motioned that the sheriff’s salary be set at $82,500 for the first, second, and third years [of the term] and $85,000 for the fourth year.

Rohlfs motioned that the treasurer’s salary be set at $65,000 for the first, second, and third years [of the term] and $67,500 for the fourth year.

Farmer motioned that the County Clerk’s salary be set at $65,000 for the first, second, and third years [of the term] and $67,500 for the fourth year.

Welch said if the board would vote for those amounts, the savings would be $5,000 for each of the first three years. She said with these amounts, they would be spending $212,500 a year on the salaries and right now they are spending $217,980. With the salaries at the end of the fourth year, they would be spending $2,500 more than they are now.

These motions will be brought forward at the Logan County Board Workshop on Thursday.

[Angela Reiners]