MASON CITY – Campaign promises were fulfilled Tuesday at the Cerro Gordo county courthouse as the board of supervisors voted to skip a pay cut and freeze their salaries.
While the supervisors followed the recommendations of the county compensation board and approved a 2.5% pay increase for all other county elected officials, they did not accept a 2.5% pay increase they could have taken. The vote was unanimous from all three Republican board members: Casey Callanan, Tim Latham and Chris Watts. Both Mr. Latham and Mr. Watts made campaign promises to freeze their pay, and both were elected this past November, forcing out long-time Democrats Jay Urdahl and Phil Dougherty.
A pay freeze is a rarity for the Cerro Gordo county board of supervisors. So rare, in fact, that County administrator Tom Drzycimski told NIT “I really don’t know when the last time was that occurred.”
The Cerro Gordo county compensation board – which is chaired by Steve Minert – was formed in 1982. Sources tell NIT that every year since then, the Board of Supervisors has taken a pay increase.
NIT contacted Chairman Minert for comment. Mr. Minert told NIT that, “I commend the Supervisors for approving the Comp Board’s recommendation, and for freezing their pay. It’s like a double-edged sword; this vote is positive for all parties concerned. All of our officials who serve in elective county office do great work for the citizens of Cerro Gordo county.”
Also approved by the supervisors was a 5-year plan for pay increases for county employees which include the sheriff’s department, courthouse employees and road workers – a total of 113 employees. Along with health insurance changes and a wellness package, these employees will see their pay increase every year for the next five years:
July 1, 2017: – 2.55% (courthouse employees get $0.48 raise)
July 1, 2018: – 2.65% (courthouse employees get $0.49 raise)
July 1, 2019: – 2.75% (courthouse employees get $0.52 raise)
July 1, 2020: – 2.75% (courthouse employees get $0.53 raise)
July 1, 2021: – 2.75% (courthouse employees get $0.55 raise)
Minert pays very low wages himself Suprise,give me an alley.
that was the city, not the county.
Freeze all pay county wide if they really want to do something right.ALOT of people in jobs in Cerro Gordo Co.don’t get more pay every year.Government jobs don’t live in the real world.Alot of citizens in Mason City live on a lot less then this.Hell a lot of jobs here pay terrible wages,and aren’t even fulltime anymore (as in 40 hrs week).No wonder Mason City has become so disfunctional it isn’t even funny anymore.Mason City blue collar worker don’t have much of a chance anymore.City GOD’S talk but don’t walk in our shoes nomore No part-time job is worth around 40,000 plus cmon!Hell I would give $ back like that if I had it too jeez wow what a bunch of pat yourself on the back kind of people.How about a plan from Supervisor on how bring JOBS to MC instead of chasing them away.
Did you ever get a raise the month on the job???Job performance is rewarded with a increase in pay and they have done nothing thus far.
Finally, we have some politicians who did what they said they would do. Good job. I don’t know Cris that well but Tim is a good guy who does what he says he will.
give me a PART time job and $52,000 a yr and ill turn down a pay raise too
Boy, old Jay Urdahl would have never gone along with cutting his pay!!
I commend Watts & Latham for putting a stop to this and for NIT’s reporting.
How much do the supervisors make, anyway?
Somewhere between $ 45,000 and $ 50,000 per year.
It may look like an honorable thing to do, but it has a regressive side to it. If the salaries don’t keep up it will discourage people without a lot of money to run for this office… Cerro Gordo County have a great budget and it is sound. The few dollars that this will make is like a drop of water in the ocean. Chris Watts will now think that he is king of the hill. But, he will still be a scum on a pond.
You were making a g ood point and building a good case for yourself, too bad you had to blow it by calling people names.
Now you just sound like a better person with a vendetta.
It does not change the premise. And, this site is all about name calling, so I fit right in. However, this is only the second time in my life that I have resorted to it. Chris Watts is just that bad. Sorry, if I offended you ( sincerely)