Tama County Board of Supervisors (l-r) 1st District Chair Larry Vest, Dinsdale, 2nd District Kendall Jordan, Toledo and 3rd District Dan Anderson, rural Tama. Chronicle / News-Herald file photo

A three percent across-the-board raise increase for Tama County elected officials was recommended on Monday, Dec. 23, to the Board of Supervisors.

Dave Forbes, Traer, representing the County Compensation Board, told supervisors the hike in pay recommendation was what all seven members initially agreed upon. He said this was the first time he could recall in his years serving on the board everyone had the same figure in mind at the start.

Supervisors said they would act quickly upon the recommendation because department budgets for fiscal 2020-21 will be developed shortly.

Supervisors may only accept or lower the Compensation Board recommendation in respect to all the elected offices collectively except their own. The supervisors can lower the recommendation for their pay independent of the other elected officials.

Current pay for elected Tama County officials is: Auditor and Commissioner of Elections- $58,691; County Attorney- $88,936; Recorder- $58,531; Sheriff- $74,929; Supervisors- $31,107; and Treasurer- $58,611.

Union employees have negotiated proposed pay raises of three percent for the sheriff’s office and 2.5 percent each for emergency management and roads.

Any pay increases become effective July 1, 2020.

Members of the Tama County Compensation Board and the elected official or officials they represent are Les Koch, auditor, Dave Forbes, sheriff, Nick Podhajsky and Bruce Lenhart, supervisors, Lesa Haughey, treasurer, Susan Jones, attorney and Todd Kruse, recorder.

Board membership is made of citizens appointed by the elected officials.

In other business Tuesday the supervisors:

set their annual organizational meeting for Thursday, Jan. 2, at 9:30 a.m.

reset a meeting with State Senator Jeff Edler and State Representative Dean Fisher for Monday, Dec. 30 during the regular board weekly meeting.

approved weekly claims totaling $237,715.