Logan County Board approves salaries for the treasurer, county clerk, and sheriff after much discussion

[May 17, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

On Tuesday, May 15, the Logan County Board held its monthly meeting voting on several motions. One focus of discussion was salaries for the treasurer, county clerk, and sheriff.

Board members present were Kevin Bateman, Dave Blankenship, Emily Davenport, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, David Hepler, Gloria Luster, Gene Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, Bob Sanders, Scott Schaffenacker and Annette Welch.

The salaries were discussed at last month's board meeting and voted to be sent back to the finance committee for more discussion.

There were more discussions this month at both the Finance Committee meeting and Board Workshop. Some board members would like to see the treasurer and county clerk salaries levelled off. The current salaries for these positions are $72,000 for the county clerk and recorder, and $65,500 for the treasurer.

Hepler made a motion to approve the salary for the treasurer at $65,500 for all four years of the term.

Hepler then amended the motion to $70,000 for treasurer for all four years, but that motion failed along with several other motions proposing small increases each year and amounts ranging between $66,100 and $69,100.

Discussions from various board members included the savings due to reduced retirement benefits, leveling out the amounts for the treasurer and county clerk, and being responsible by avoiding increases.

Blankenship said salaries in the private sector are not going up and we need to remember we are in a deficit budget.

Hepler said the treasurer has taken on several new duties that should be considered. He wants to get the treasurer and county clerk leveled out.

Bateman asked where it says we need to level the offices of treasurer and county clerk out.

Schaffenacker said he wanted integrity by leveling the amounts out.

Rohlfs asked why $65,500 would not be considered a respectable salary. He wanted to know the savings if there were increases.

Hepler said the savings for increases to the treasurer, county clerk, and sheriff's salary would be just under $19,000 a year due to a reduced form of a retirement plan.

After a few failed straw votes on the main motion to set the treasurer's salary at $65,500 for all four years, a roll call vote was taken.

The vote on the main motion passed 7-3-2 Kevin Bateman, Dave Blankenship, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, Gene Rohlfs, Bob Sanders and Annette Welch voting yes. David Hepler, Gloria Luster and Scott Schaffenacker voted no. Chuck Ruben and Emily Davenport abstained.

County clerk salary

Hepler made a motion to approve the salary for the county clerk at $65,500 for all four years of the term and then amended the motion to $70,000 for county clerk for all four years.
Bateman said $70,000 would be a $20,000 decrease in budget if locked in since the current salary is $72,000.

The amendment for $70,000 failed 8-3-1 with Dave Blankenship, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, Gene Rohlfs, Bob Sanders, Scott Schaffenacker, and Annette Welch voting no. Kevin Bateman, David Hepler, Gloria Luster voted yes; and Emily Davenport abstained.

Amendments to set the salary at $68,500 and at $69,500 also failed.

Rohlfs asked how it would be demeaning to set this amount at [the lower salary of] $65,500 if it is not about the officeholders, but the office. He said there was a similar situation when the treasurer and circuit clerk were elected midterm and both salaries were reduced substantially.

The main motion then passed 7-4-1 with Dave Blankenship, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, Gene Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, Bob Sanders, and Annette Welch voting yes. Kevin Bateman, David Hepler, Gloria Luster, and Scott Schaffenacker voted no; and Emily Davenport abstained.

Sheriff's salary

Hepler motioned to approve the salary for the sheriff at $80,500 for all four years of the term. He then amended the motion to $85,000 for sheriff for all four years.

The amended motion failed 7-4-1 with Kevin Bateman, Dave Blankenship, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, Gene Rohlfs, Scott Schaffenacker and Annette Welch voted no. David Hepler, Gloria Luster, Chuck Ruben and Bob Sanders voted yes. Emily Davenport abstained.

The main motion passed 10-1-1 with Kevin Bateman, Dave Blankenship, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, Gloria Luster, Gene Rohlfs, Chuck Ruben, Bob Sanders, Scott Schaffenacker and Annette Welch voting yes. David Hepler voted no. Emily Davenport abstained.

Other motions

The board unanimously approved the following motions from the Finance Committee:

1. A motion to approve a Budget Amendment for the Coroner’s Office. Ruben said the records in the basement are in shambles and they need have someone help straighten the files. Funds from the amended budget will be used to pay someone to do that.

2. A motion to approve the purchase of a new computer for the Zoning Officer’s Office out of the GIS Fund up to $2,000 to replace the old computer Will D'Andrea has been using.

3. A motion to approve a Resolution for Minimum Auction Sale Bid.

4. A motion to approve a Resolution for the Reappointment of Jane Ryan to the Board of Review.

The next Regular Board meeting will be Tuesday, June 19 at 7 p.m. in the Logan County Courthouse.

[Angela Reiners]