SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 12, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/12/08
The Sullivan for Supervisor campaign has a team in the annual Bowl for Kids Sake event, which raises money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County.
We would love it if you would pledge us! Go to http://bbbsjc.kintera.org/ to do the whole process online.
The Board of Supervisors heard from the Johnson County Conservation Board on February 6 regarding their request to ask the voters to support a ballot measure for land preservation.
The Conservation Board has been working with a national organization called the Trust for Public Land (TPL). TPL is a nonprofit land conservation organization that works to protect land for streams, trails, greenways, recreation areas, watersheds, and wilderness. TPL has helped public agencies in all 50 states protect 3,300 properties totaling more than 2 million acres.
TPL conducted a feasibility study to research viable methods for long-term land conservation in Johnson County. TPL looked at methods and amounts of funding, and determined that a strong majority of Johnson County residents would support a $20 million ballot measure. ($20 million translates into $27 annually per $100,000 valuation.)
This could go before the voters at the November 2008 General Election – it is up to the Board of Supervisors to decide whether or not to let the public vote on the measure. First the Conservation Board needs to submit a petition with at least 4,400 signatures – a pretty daunting task.
More discussion on this topic is scheduled for this Thursday’s BOS meeting.
The Board recently discussed the salaries of elected officials. It is an interesting process. Each County has a Compensation Board, consisting of one appointee each by the Sheriff, County Attorney, Recorder, Auditor, and Treasurer, and two appointees by the Board of Supervisors. These Compensation Boards make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) regarding the salaries of the ten County elected officials. The BOS can reduce the recommendations, but may not increase them. In addition, if they decide to cut the recommended salaries, the BOS must cut each recommendation by the same percentage.
The Compensation Boards work hard. They look at comparables from all 99 of Iowa’s counties as well as many other factors. So their recommendations are typically very well reasoned.
The recommendation this year was 6% for each elected official. The vote was 4-2, with the Chair not voting.
The current (approximate) salaries are County Attorney $114,000; Sheriff $89,000; Treasurer, Auditor, and Recorder $69,000; and Supervisors $48,000. That adds up to $660,000, meaning a 6% raise would amount to $39,000, and 3% would be $19,500. The Board had decided some time ago that any additional money that “shows up” as the budget is finalized will go toward paying off the new Health & Human Services Building, so if the Board reduces the proposed raises, the extra money will go there.
While I supported a raise of this size once in the past, that was to bring our county into line with its peers. Since that has been done, I do not believe another sizeable raise is called for at this time. Instead, I support the suggestion of the two dissenting members of the Compensation Board - a raise of 3 to 3.5%. My reasons are these:
1. Johnson County elected officials rank almost exactly where they should in terms of pay. Johnson County is the 4th or 5th most populous county in Iowa. The County Attorney’s salary ranks 3rd, the Treasurer and Recorder rank 4th, the Sheriff and Auditor rank 5th, and the Supervisors are 4th. By my way of thinking, that is almost exactly as it should be.
2. All the rest of the employees in Johnson County, union or not, get exactly what the unions negotiate. This year, that is 3.5% on average.
3. There used to be a problem with the salaries of Administrative Deputies. (These are the folks who serve in management capacities in the offices of the elected officials.) These folks were traditionally limited to 80% of the elected official’s salary. Last year, the Iowa Legislature raised this to 85%, and allowed Administrative Deputies to earn longevity pay. So if the BOS gives a 3.5% raise, these folks will get 8.5% plus longevity.
The discussion of the pay for elected officials was complicated somewhat, as there was discussion as to whether or not Supervisors should be considered full or the current three-quarters time. The Compensation Board wisely suggested that the Supervisors needed to figure that out. (We will discuss that issue in a future Salvos!)
Meanwhile, I favor a 3.5% raise for elected officials this year.
You may have read Mike Thayer’s recent letter to the editor, which claimed that “while businesses tighten their belts, governments raise taxes.” Huh? Tighten their belts? I don’t know where Thayer shops, but the costs of gas, food, insurance… hell, EVERYTHING I BUY has gone up! So if by businesses “tightening their belts” he means raising their prices, then yeah, their belts are tight.
There are important discussions that can and should be had around government spending. I am happy to have those conversations (I actually enjoy them!), but let’s be honest first.
The 3rd annual Valentine Gala for Habitat for Humanity on Monday, February 11, 6 - 9 pm at the South Slope Cooperative Community Center in North Liberty. This is a fundraiser to kick off our 2008 build season. Music by Euforquestra, a great local band; appetizers from 126, salad from Devotay, bread from New Pi, luscious desserts including a chocolate fountain, wine and non-alcoholic beverage, a chance to learn about Habitat, to dance and to bid on the live and silent auction items. Tickets are $50 and $25 is the tax-deductible contribution.
MADE IN L.A. - A documentary film by Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar, Made in L.A. follows the story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they help organize co-workers through a local Workers’ Center and embark on a three-year struggle to win fair treatment from a mega-trendy clothing retailer.
For more on the film see: http://www.madeinla.com/.
Free public screening 7 pm, Tuesday, February 19 - 101 Biology Building. Sponsored by the UI Center for Human Rights and the UI Labor Center. For more information call 319-335-4144.
Saturday, February 16 is the 24th Annual Sutliff Golf Classic -
held right in Sutliff (bet you didn't know there was a golf course!).
Registration is at noon, tee off is at 1 pm. A great time can be had by all with the wacky marshmallow put, hole in one (inner-tube floating from the bridge), longest drive, and more, and a jacks tournament in the back room.
If the river is still frozen over, it should be another interesting year! Last year we had snowmobiles and the golf outing all in one day!
DID YOU KNOW? One out of every ten homeless people served in the armed forces.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 7:24 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home