The Marshall County Compensation Board held its annual meeting a bit earlier than usual as budget season heats up, gathering at the courthouse on Monday night and ultimately recommending a 10 percent pay increase for Sheriff Joel Phillips and a six percent bump for all other elected officials come July 1, 2024.

For the second straight year, the board has recommended a higher pay hike for the sheriff than other positions due to the state’s new “Back the Blue” law, which stipulates that sheriff’s salaries shall be set at comparable levels to city police chiefs in similar sized communities along with administrators and command officers with the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Before last year’s meeting, Phillips was being paid just over $100,000 annually, while State Patrol Major David Halverson — who is assigned to Marshall County — made $135,262.40 in 2022 and Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper made $131,809.

After last year’s compensation board meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the recommendations as presented with a 20 percent pay increase for Phillips to $120,701.45 and a 10 percent bump for all other elected officials, bucking a recent trend of approving raises much lower than the initial recommendations. Another 10 percent increase would put Phillips at an annual salary of $132,771.59, but state records indicate that Halverson’s total gross pay for the year 2023 has jumped to $144,309.43. Additionally, a non-union city employee salary survey posted on the city website reported that Tupper’s annual pay — along with that of Fire Chief David Rierson — increased to $135,764 on July 1, and City Administrator Joe Gaa told the T-R that as a result of the study, Tupper’s salary will be increased to $144,931 on Jan. 1.

According to the Iowa Association of Counties (ISAC), Marshall County ranks 15th in the state in population, but even after the larger increase from last year, just 29th in sheriff pay. Without knowing what raises other counties will enact for their sheriffs, the proposed raise would bring Marshall County up to 16th. Beyond that, Marshall County currently ranks 29th in county attorney pay, 20th in county supervisor pay, 42nd in treasurer pay, 14th in recorder pay and 16th in auditor pay, although it’s important to note it is one of only two counties in the state where the auditor and recorder positions are combined.

The other six percent raises would break down as follows: County Attorney Jordan Gaffney would see an increase from $130,599.73 to $138,435.72 annually; County Auditor/Recorder Nan Benson’s salary would increase from $88,786.59 to $94,113.75; each of the three county supervisors would see a six percent raise from $44,587.41 annually to $47,262.66; and County Treasurer Deann Tomlinson’s pay would increase from $76,435.55 annually to $81,021.68.

After a few rounds of discussion, the agreed upon numbers received unanimous approval from the compensation board — comprised of County Auditor/Recorder Representative Doug Beals, County Sheriff Representative Mark Eaton, County Board of Supervisors Representatives Gary McKibbin and Robert Thomas, County Treasurer Representative Tom Swartz and County Attorney Representative Tom McCoy — and they will now go to the Board of Supervisors for final approval at a future meeting.

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Contact Robert Maharry

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