Cape Girardeau County Commission considers new way to give raises

In budgeting talks Monday, the Cape Girardeau County Commission discussed a way to slow increases in its highest salaries and close the earnings gap between employees and elected officials.

Auditor Pete Frazier presented a preliminary version of a plan that would give employees a $500 raise in base salary, plus a percentage increase. Elected officials would only get the percentage increase.

The proposed strategy is a departure from previous years, in which percentage increases were instituted uniformly across all offices and employees.

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy said that he likes the idea of giving a "step increase" to employees and feels the plan would help control salary growth of elected officials.

"It is something that needs to be addressed, looking at changes over the last ten years," Tracy said.

In April, the Southeast Missourian reported that between 1997 and 2010 salaries for elected officials rose 68.3 percent, almost twice the rate of the Consumer Price Index for the same period.

State statute requires that a county salary commission meet in odd-numbered years to recommend salaries for employees and officials who will be elected the following year. Elected officials cannot receive a greater increase than employees. Also, elected officials' salaries are supposed to remain equal across offices. Half of county officials are elected every two years, so the salaries of half are authorized by the salary commission in each meeting. In 2011, the salary commission authorized a raise of up to 3.5 percent.

The county commission makes the final call on raises when creating the budget and this year the discussion points to a way of giving greater overall percentage increases to the lowest earners.

For example, should the county commission approve a 1 percent raise and the $500 step increase, employees making $25,000 per year would receive a total increase of around three percent. Employees making $40,000 would see their salaries raised by roughly two percent overall. Elected officials would only get the one percent.

The commission asked that Frazier prepare information on how increases of 1 percent, 1.5 percent and 2 percent would affect the county budget for discussions that will recommence Thursday.

In other budgeting talk, the commission asked that a major portion of the requested parks budget come from the parks development and acquisition fund, not general revenue. A motion was made by Commissioner Paul Koeper that $120,000 of the $359,850 budget requested to pave roads and possibly rebuild Shelter 8 in North County Park would be authorized as needed from the parks fund. Commissioner Jay Purcell voted against the motion, but it passed 2 to 1.

Cape County Transit Authority Executive Director Thomas Mogelnicki requested a $10,000 increase in funding for CTA be included in budget discussions to buy new vehicles, for a total of $70,000 from county money for 2012. The commission made a motion to include the $10,000 for vehicle purchases, contingent on approval by the Missouri Department of Transportation, who regulates and subsidizes the fleet.

A public hearing about the county budget will be held Dec. 19 at 9:30 a.m.

In other business, Coroner John Clifton requested two more iPads for his office. Clifton received one iPad in November and Koeper reported it has streamlined operations. Two more will provide enough for the entire staff, who currently must use their personal computers when there are multiple cases in the office.

Navy veterans Larry Hendershott and Tom Meyer requested that a circular, 16-inch diameter plaque be placed on the veteran's memorial at Cape County Park to honor the military service of the Seabees, a special combat and construction unit of the U.S. Navy. The 70 year anniversary of the Seabees is March 5 and they would like to have a dedication at that time. The commission acknowledged the distinguished service of the Seabees and said they would study the procedure of amending the memorial and give an answer within a week.

salderman@semissourian.com

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