Supervisors break tradition and approve an almost $5K raise for themselves

Over the years Jasper County supervisors have prided themselves for not taking a salary increase despite recommendations from the compensation board, but this past month elected officials broke tradition and not only approved a raise for themselves but also gave the chairman a $2,500 stipend.

Jasper County Compensation Board recommended the supervisors receive a $7,980 raise, bumping their annual salaries from $42,020 to an even $50,000. In the past few years, the supervisors have not thought twice about rejecting the compensation board’s recommendation for their salaries.

However, supervisor Brandon Talsma reasoned that although he did not like the idea of a raise he also wanted to incentivize individuals to run for a seat on the board. To him, he always had a sense of pride saying the Jasper County Board of Supervisors hasn’t taken a raise in X-amount of years.

“We’re nearing the point where if we don’t keep it at an attractive enough of a salary we’re going to have a harder and harder time finding quality individuals who are willing to take time out of their personal lives, their family lives, their hobbies to run for this job,” Talsma said.

Supervisor Denny Stevenson said years ago, when he was first on the board, the stipend was taken away for the chairman. Looking back, Stevenson said that was a mistake and he would like to see it come back. The board chair “does way more extra work” than the $2,500 will cover, but it will help, he said.

As the current board chair, Talsma didn’t comment. Supervisor Doug Cupples agreed with Stevenson, leading to a 2-0 vote to reinstate the stipend.

Talsma abstained from the vote.

When it comes to supervisor salaries, Cupples and Talsma argued Jasper County’s wages were below that of nearby Marion and Marshal Counties. Still, Talsma agonized over the idea of giving supervisors a pay raise, but he felt it was worth it to have the conversation now.

“Denny, you’re on the (Kellogg) City Council, how hard is it to find somebody who is wanting to sacrifice their time to run for city council?” Talsma asked.

Stevenson shook his head. “It’s terrible,” he said.

While the supervisors would go on to approve the salary increase, they did not fully commit to the compensation board’s recommendation. Instead, they took a $4,980 increase instead of the proposed $7,980 increase, bringing their annual salaries to $47,000. The board approved the raise in a 3-0 vote.