Davison County commissioners raise their own pay 10 percent

Davison County commissioners gave themselves a 10.1 percent salary increase Tuesday at the courthouse in Mitchell, despite attempts by two commissioners to freeze salaries or limit the raise to 2 percent.

Davison County Commissioner Gerald Weiss tried for a salary freeze, but none of the other four commissioners supported that idea.

It was the second consecutive year that Weiss attempted to hold the salary line without support.

“I’d like to see this board freeze our wages and set an example for all the politicians from Washington to Pierre,” Weiss said. “They’re all asking taxpayers to tighten their belts, but I don’t see them tightening their belts.”

Setting salary levels is part of the routine business of setting up the county for the new year.

In other business, the commissioners unanimously selected Commissioner David Weitala as the new commission chairman, succeeding outgoing 2009 chairman Jerry Fischer. Commissioner John Claggett was elected vice chairman.

Weiss twice tried to get support for a salary freeze Tuesday, but both motions died for lack of a second. Claggett tried to limit the hike to 2 percent, but he also received no support.

The commissioners voted 3 to 2, with Weiss and Claggett in the minority, to raise their salaries to $14,112 from $12,816. Previous com- mission salaries — $12,442 in 2008 and $12,080 in 2007 — reflected raises of about 3 percent.

In 2009, county employees received raises of 3 percent, plus 25 cents per hour, but the commissioners took only the 3 percent and not the 25 cents per hour portion of that wage package.

In 2010, they will take both the 2 percent raise and an extra 50-cents-per-hour increase given to all county employees.

The 50-cents-per-hour raise for the commissioners is based on full-time employment of 2,080 hours per year, for a total “hourly” raise of $1,040 per year, said Auditor Susan Kiepke. The 2 percent increase for commissioners equates to about $256. The hourly bump plus the 2 percent raise brings the commissioners’ total annual salary increase to $1,296.

Weiss and Claggett both said they don’t work full-time at their commission jobs. Weitala said the commissioners will have to re-visit the issue of hours at some future time.

It’s unclear whether any of the commission members knew that their raise will equal 10.1 percent, because nobody did the math to come up with that figure during the meeting.

Commissioner Denny Kiner, the most junior member of the board, said afterward that he voted for the raise because the commissioners in 2009 voted against taking health-care benefits. That sacrifice saved the county $50,000 to $75,000, he estimated.

Kiner said the Beadle County Commission receives an annual salary of about $14,400, “so we’re not out of line.”

Last year’s employee wage increases ranged from 3 to 6 percent, and similar pay ranges will prevail in 2010.

In other business Tuesday, the commissioners:

• Set various committee appointments for 2010.

• Approved the issuance of single-trip overweight permits so Ken Bussmus of Bussmus Construction can move a 40-ton crane during 2010.

• Heard from state Department of Health Regional Manager Deb Haak, who told the commissioners that a federal audit noted the lack of handicap accessibility at the present county nursing office. While no handicapped clients have requested services to date, Haak said clearly marked parking must be available, and signs should be posted to alert potential clients that special arrangements can be made to accommodate the disabled at an alternate site. The commissioners agreed and will discuss the request with building management. The nursing offices are considered temporary until the county builds a new multi-use building.

• Signed an acceptance agreement with the state for $157,500 in community development block grant funds. The agreement must be signed before the funds can be released. The money will be used to demolish the Tower Building on Miller Avenue.

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