Jasper County decides to keep its compensation board

Even though the Iowa Legislature passed a law earlier this year that effectively dissolved all county compensation boards and left it up to individual county boards of supervisors to decide whether to reinstate them, elected officials in Jasper County still see the benefit to having the recommending body’s input.

In a 3-0 vote on Dec. 3, the Jasper County Board of Supervisors agreed to approve a resolution re-establishing the county compensation board, whose job is to review the salaries of all elected officials and recommend adjustments. Their recommendations are then provided to the supervisors for a final decision.Whether they want to adopt the recommended salary changes or make any kinds of amendments is entirely up to the board of supervisors.

Supervisor Brandon Talsma told Newton News in order for the board to make adjustments to salaries of elected officials, they still need to provide a level of justification. To him, that is exactly what the compensation board does. But he also didn’t feel it was right for only the board of supervisors to decide.

“So I went ahead and had a discussion with our fellow elected officials, and the consensus was, ‘Hey, we kind of feel like it’s been a good thing.’ It was also the general consensus that having outside entities discuss this also kind of takes the pressure off of the board of supervisors,” Talsma said.

Which is ultimately why Jasper County decided to keep its compensation board. Representatives of the compensation board are chosen by elected officials. The supervisors confirmed all seats but one representing the county attorney’s office have been filled by volunteers, but they have yet to be officially appointed.

Jasper County Auditor Jenna Jennings said the appointments of compensation board members will be placed on the Dec. 10 supervisors agenda.

Senate File 2442 did more than just dissolve all county compensation boards. It also lowered the income tax rate to 3.8 percent for all Iowans and made changes to levy limits, annual taxpayer statements and the budget process for cities, among other things.