by Matt Marquardt –
MASON CITY – Cerro Gordo County Supervisors approved the 2012-2013 budget this morning.
The countywide levy decreased .024% from last fiscal year.
“We wanted pretty much bare bones,” Bob Amosson said, regarding the budget. “We have some great elected officials… it doesn’t happen by accident,” said Supervisor Jay Urdahl.
Urdahl, Amosson and Phil Dougherty approved a 2.5% pay increase for themselves.
Over the last 20 years, Supervisors’ pay has risen dramatically.
See pay increases for Cerro Gordo County Supervisors over last 20+ years:
Watch video of entire meeting:
Urdahl is wearing a suit and tie, must be in a election mode. No more feet up on the table, drinking pop and slouching in the chair. Too little, too late.
I received a form letter from Jay Urdahl asking for money to help him get re-elected. He pointed out that the county has given Wright on the Park $400,000, Music Man Square $50,000 per year, and $10,000 to Mason City for the clock in Central Park and stated in bold black letters that the county has not raised my taxes in the past 8 years. My taxes have gone up every year to the tune of over $600 in that 8 year period.My taxes are now over $3200 per year. Go figure!!!!
First and foremost that money you mentioned was “our” money they “gave” away. It was our tax dollars, not theirs. Ask Urdahl this; the county used to give the Fair $80,000.00 a year until Urdahl was elected; he then cut it back to $30,000.00 which is a deep cut. Now word has it Urdahl’s father once served on the fair board until he was asked to leave….its been said Jay has had a hard on for the fair board since then and cut their offering as a result.
For what it’s worth, The DIFFERENCE between the Globe & NIT—read this morning’s article on page two of the Globe about the County budget and mental health. Notice the LAST paragraph about the pay raise they gave themselves. Than let your eyes wander to the right–page three. BIG heading and article about Mitchell County pay raises.
NOW tell me, The Globe & Skipper don’t have their Noses buried up the Supervisor’s hind ends here in Cerro Gordo County !!!!????
I looked myself. Couldn’t believe!
People, look for yourselves and tell me perplexed is wrong.
Something is funny in those two buidings on North Washington.
Is Howard that blind that he can’t see what his boy is doing?
Another Black eye for the Globe!
Can you imagine a part time job with all the benefits and salary that they get?
Term Limits has been mentioned alot lately. Let’s act together and rid the system of ALL career politicians.
REALLY?! These guy are a joke and should have a hard time showing their faces in public.
This is just out right wrong!!!!!
Vote these guys out people!
Better yet, tell your friends and neighbors also.
Spread the word–clean house!
Now is your golden opportunity to make a change. Urdahl is coming up for re-election. Since he voted for a pay increase, if he wins re-election, then you people have no one to blame but yourself!!
Public sector jobs are popular because of their valuable benefit packages. It is not just a salary, it is the valuable benefits some govt entities have that make these jobs great that we all fund. So it is not just $46,464 for 2013–you have to figure in what the benefit packages are worth. My understanding is the health insurance is nice and many other people do not have any health insurance and not very good insurance. The IPERS is very good. So what is that all worth as a package? There are far more lucrative professions? On a part-time basis? Like what and with what type of education and training? Doctors? Lawyers? I didn’t realize these guys were performing duties that were ranked like brain surgery or arguing cases before The Supreme Court. Seriously please educate yourselves, no wonder everything is so messed up when we have so many uninformed people. It is the age of the internet, look this stuff up.
whining, this is very much a part time job! And the private sector has not recieved ANY increase in wages for 5 years. Maybe its time for those living on the taxpayer dollar to learn to live with a little less! What do you think?
Actually, they have. One national contract came in with 21% over five years. But that’s ok, you can work for less, and allow your boss to get away with it.
Personally, I don’t live on what everyone else expects me to make, never have. Nor will there be any envy to someone who has more than I. But that’s the nice thing about living in America, you can always better yourself if you want.
2.5% is barely a cost of living increase. That isn’t exactly a rich wage either. There are far more lucrative professions, so get over it.
What you are neglecting to recognise here is that the Supervisor job is considered PART TIME.
Part time with huge benefits.
No problem with the WORKERS getting the 2.5%, but these three part-timers?
Again, ripping off the system and it’s time they go bye-bye!!!!
That’s just too damn bad for them, there’s ten MILLION people out of work long term who cant find jobs, the mortgage foreclosure meltdown has been a disaster, gas i getting closer and closer to $4 a gallon and it’s not even Memorial day yet!
I didnt GET a pay raise/COL increase this year because my company is having problems now due to the lousy economy and in 35 years of business they never had a layoff but might this year.
The fact these mo fos can vote THEMSELVES a freaking pay raise is OUTRAGEOUS!
Anonymous that is good to know. Let’s make sure our elected officials contact the public employee union reps to get this implemented as soon as possible since it is what the public employees want. In watching union negotiations it appears that is a topic where the union representing the employees does not want the employee to contribute anymore than they have to. But it is nice to know that that has changed since the last bargaining agreement according to you. This could help relieve property taxes and give people a much needed break. I look forward to hearing from all the public employees out there that support this claim and invite them to post their comments of support. We’ll get this thing figured out in no time! No problem!
Mike, AFSCME has asked for the Iowa Legislature to change the funding formula and adjust contributions from both the employer and the employee up. They have asked for this for the past 12 years. Only the legislature can adjust the funding formula. I’m not an AFSCME member and I don’t play one on TV. This just happens to be something I am interested in. I have no idea why the Legislature won’t do that other than the fact that they do not want the state to contribute more. The fact remains that AFSCME has unfunded liabilities and the only way to fix it is to either cut benefits or increase contributions. They’ve changed the rules to reduce overall payouts by a modest amount but the adjustments on the input sides have been miniscule.
Unbelievable! And in these tough times!
Talk about a bunch of assholes.
Also, it looks like the compensation board isn’t a bunch of bright folks, either.
Bend over!!
This is disgusting. What an example. So very many people out of work and afraid of what will happen to them. These guys just keep patting themselves on the back and give themselves more. The person that mentioned their retirement program IPERS on here it just keep getting bigger. It increases more for them each time they increase their pay. IPERS by the way is guaranteed by the taxpaying citizens so if IPERS runs into trouble someday (with all this wonderful spending) we taxpayers have to bail them out. When will some George Washington type people step up to serve in a government job instead of making it their career and fortune? Is the supervisory job considered a part time or full time job? Do these individuals have other employment elsewhere? Many of us out here in the real world have not seen a raise in quite some time and many have had their 401k match suspended but yet we get to keep paying for these guys to increase their salary? Why don’t they take a break and let the rest of us breath for a moment?
IPERS is funded by employees and employers. Yes, it is guaranteed by the taxpayers, but if the Legislature would manage it right it wouldn’t be an issue. Contributions need to increase but the Legislature doesn’t want to do that. Public empoloyees have been pushing for these increases and asking that employees be required to pay more than the employer does. Don’t know why the heck the Legislature doesn’t approve that. Would be nice to ask Steckman that.
All in favor of us getting raises, say aye. It’s unanimous!
Meeting adjourned.