COUNTY LOOKS AT PAY SCHEDULE

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau County's wage scale, designed in 1990, invites review and change every so often, County Clerk Rodney Miller said.

Miller, along with Auditor H. Weldon Macke and Collector Harold Kuehle, is part of a committee to do just that -- be sure salaries keep up with the times and are fair to all 141 county employees.

The salary review committee met with county commissioners Thursday to examine starting salaries and scheduled raises.

Five years ago, county officials contracted Jim Lansmon, a retired vice president with Union Electric, to put together a book describing the county's pay scale. It was completed in 1990 and introduced a grade-and-step program.

Employees begin working at a certain grade, which may go up when they are promoted. In addition, their years of service allow them to take steps, making more money.

Prior to adopting Lansmon's proposed system, raises were given on an individual basis. Each elected official had to approach the county commission about the people in his division.

"You just went in on your knees and begged," Macke said. "Now we have consistency, standards -- people know what they're going to get."

Miller said keeping salaries comparable to private industry is important. State requirements are higher, meaning new employees must have a higher level of training to complete all the necessary work.

Jones said there may be some changes to the salary structure, but the commission's discussions on the topic right now are "purely philosophical." He said the committee would continue to meet with commissioners until they had a thorough understanding of how the system works.

If any changes follow, Jones said, they must be decided before the county's budget is set in November.