After convening for a meeting last Thursday night, the Marshall County Compensation Board has recommended a six percent across the board pay increase for elected officials, and it will now go to the Board of Supervisors for further review and possible action.

If the changes are approved as presented, the county attorney’s salary would increase from $113,073.36 to $119,857.76, and the salary of the county sheriff would be raised from $95,794.80 to $101,542.49. The county auditor/recorder’s salary would be increased from $76,871.48 to $81,483.77, and the county treasurer’s salary would go from $66,177.96 to $70,148.64. Each of the three county supervisors would receive a pay raise from $39,353.41 to $41,714.61.

A packet distributed at the meeting showed pay rates for Iowa counties close to Marshall County on a number of indicators — population, taxable land value, revenues and countywide levies as well as well as counties that border Marshall County. Marshall County currently ranks 15th in the state in population, 19th in taxable land valuation, 20th in revenues and 63rd in countywide levies.

The county also ranks 26th in the state in sheriff pay, 31st in attorney pay, 19th in auditor pay, 24th in supervisor pay and 47th in treasurer pay. Marshall is one of just two counties in the state with the auditor and recorder positions combined.

Last year, the compensation board recommended a five percent pay increase, and the supervisors ultimately approved a three percent increase for every elected official except for themselves. The supervisors instead received a 2.25 percent pay increase. Two years ago, the supervisors approved an across the board three percent increase for fiscal year 2021 after receiving a four percent recommendation from the compensation board.

The matter will be discussed and potentially voted on during the regular meeting on Feb. 1.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.