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STATE OF WASHINGTON
County of Jefferson
In the Matter of Establishing New
Salaries for the Elected Positions of
Jefferson County Commissioner
RESOLUTION NO 10 -14
WHEREAS, RCW 36.17.020 authorizes the Board of County Commissioners as
the County legislative authority to establish the salaries of the elected officials of the County;
and
WHEREAS, Amendment 57 to the Washington State Constitution prohibits a
legislative authority member from increasing his/her salary during his/her term of office; and
WHEREAS, RCW 36.40.205 requires an approved pre - election salary adjustment
for a County legislative authority office to be ratified and validated by properly adopting it as
part of the County budget(s) for the year(s) following such election; and
WHEREAS, the salary for a member of the County legislative authority must be
set in advance of the member taking office and should be set prior to the candidate filing period
for that position; and
WHEREAS, the salaries of County elected officials should be fair and
representative of the responsibilities of the office and should be in proper relation among elected
officials; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners for Jefferson County last updated the
salary for the position of elected Commissioner in 2007 to take effect in 2008 by passage of
Resolution No. 111 -07; and
WHEREAS, a review of the salaries paid to the same elected positions in the
Counties used for comparison purposes has been completed; and
WHEREAS, after review by the County Administrator and the Board of
Commissioners, it has been decided to create a relationship between the salary of the elected
Commissioner positions in Jefferson County and the salary of the Superior Court Judges which is
set by the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Jefferson County Board of
Commissioners that the annual salary for the elected positions of County Commissioner
representing Districts No. 1, 2 and 3 shall be set at 47% of the salary for Superior Court Judges
to take effect on January 1, 2017, after the 2014 election for the Commissioner position
representing District No. 3 and after the 2016 election for the Commissioner positions
representing Districts No. 1 and 2; and
Resolution: Establishing New Salaries for the Elected Offices of Jefferson County
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution repeals and replaces
Resolution No. 111 -07 and all prior salary matrices for the elected position of County
Commissioner.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this ! XI? day of §1(( r(�7 2014.
(S4-
2+1ynery
Deputy Clerk of the Board
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Chairman
Johnson, Member
Regular Agenda
Commissioners' Office
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Philip Morley, County Administrator 7\►/
Erin Lundgren, Clerk of the Board ✓1
DATE: March 17, 2014
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. _ re: Establishing New Salaries for the Elected
Position of Jefferson County Commissioner
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
Due to the lack of revenue and budget contraints experienced by the County because of the Great Recession,
the Board of County Commissioners has not increased the salary for the positions of the three County
Commissioners since 2008. This has caused an inequity between the Jefferson County Commissioners'
salaries and the salaries of certain other Jefferson County elected officials (Assessor, Auditor, Clerk and
Treasurer). It has also caused an inequity when compared to the salaries of other elected Commissioner
positions located in the counties used for salary comparison to Jefferson County (Chelan, Clallam, Douglas,
Island, Lewis, Mason and Pacific).
ANALYSIS:
With the exception of 2011, the salaries of certain other Jefferson County elected officials have been
increased each year since 2008, consistent with the general wage increase agreed to in the collective
bargaining agreement for UFCW employees. The 2014 salary of the positions for elected Assessor, Auditor,
Clerk and Treasurer in Jefferson County is $71,980. The salary of the position for Jefferson County
Commissioner is currently $63,926, the 2008 rate.
While it is yet unknown what decisions may be made with regard to the outcome of future UFCW labor
negotiations, any future salary increases made for employees under the UFCW collective bargaining
agreement may also be made for other Jefferson County elected officials, excluding the Commissioners' due
to limitations prohibiting a legislative authority member from increasing his/her salary during his/her term of
office.
Additionally, a salary comparison (Attachment `A') was conducted to review the salaries of elected County
Commissioner positions located in the counties used for salary comparison to Jefferson County (Chelan,
Clallam, Douglas, Island, Lewis, Mason and Pacific). Excluding the lowest and highest salary, the data
shows the average salary for the position of County Commissioner is $74,209.40.
Regular Agenda
Commissioners' Office
During a regular Commissioner meeting held on March 10, 2014, the Board reviewed and discussed this
information and considered a draft resolution to increase the salary for the elected position of Commissioner
in Jefferson County. By action of the Board (2 -1), the discussion of increasing the Commissioner position
salaries was postponed one week to allow staff to research how Commissioner position salaries are set in
comparable counties and possibly provide other options for consideration.
Upon reviewing methods used by comparable counties to set Commissioner salaries (Attachment `13% the
following options are presented:
1) Approve a resolution: To increase the salary for the elected position of Commissioner in Jefferson
County to $73,094.70 to take effect January 1, 2015 for the elected Commissioner position
representing District No. 3, and January 1, 2017 for the elected Commissioner positions representing
Districts No. 1 and 2. The salary amount is calculated by averaging the 2014 salary of $71,980 for
certain other Jefferson County elected officials with the 2014 comparable County Commissioner
average salary of $74,209.40. Under this salary increase option, unless revisited prior to the election
of the District No. 1 and District No. 2 Commissioners, the salaries of all three Commissioner
positions will remain frozen at this amount for each entire four year term of office. While the
Commissioner position salaries would be frozen for the entire four term, the salaries of other elected
officials are not similarly constrained. Any future salary increases to maintain parity with other
elected officials would need to be considered every two years prior to the election for the position of
Commissioner.
2) Approve a resolution: To increase the salary for the elected position of Commissioner in Jefferson
County to $73,094.70 to take effect January 1, 2017 for the elected Commissioner positions
representing Districts No. 1, 2 and 3. In this option, all three elected Commissioner positions would
receive an equal salary increase at the same time. Any future salary increases to maintain parity with
other elected officials would need to be considered every two years prior to the election for the
position of Commissioner.
3) Approve a resolution: To increase the salary for the elected position of Commissioner in Jefferson
County based on a percentage (47 %) of the salary for Superior Court Judges which is set by the
Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials, to take effect January 1, 2015 for
the elected Commissioner position representing District No. 3, and January 1, 2017 for the elected
Commissioner positions representing Districts No. 1 and 2. This option relieves the Board of County
Commissioners from setting the Commissioner position salaries and allows the salary for the elected
position of Commissioner to be adjusted based on adjustments made to the salary for Superior Court
Judges by the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials.
4) Approve a resolution: To increase the salary for the elected position of Commissioner in Jefferson
County based on a percentage (47 %) of the salary for Superior Court Judges which is set by the
Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials, to take effect January 1, 2017 for
the elected Commissioner positions representing Districts No. 1, 2 and 3. This option relieves the
Board of County Commissioners from setting the Commissioner position salaries and allows the
salary for the elected position of Commissioner to be adjusted based on adjustments made to the
salary for Superior Court Judges by the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected
Officials.
Regular Agenda
Commissioners' Office
5) Alternatively, the Commissioners may direct staff to draft a resolution to increase the salary for the
elected position of Commissioner in Jefferson County based on a graduating wage scale with a
predetermined percentage increase calculated into the step system. Predetermining percentage
increases for salaries into the future may create expectations and convey an assumption of available
funding in the future. Any future changes to the wage scale would need to be considered prior to an
election for the position of Commissioner.
Staff is continuing to research and evaluate the possibility of establishing a salary commission to set future
salaries of the elected Commissioner positions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
An increase to the salaries for the District No. 1, 2 and 3 Commissioner positions will cost approximately
$11,142 (including payroll taxes and retirement) for each position in the year in which the pay increase will
take effect and in subsequent years.
RECOMMENDATION:
Based on the Board's discussion last week regarding the intent to maintain equal pay for all three
Commissioner positions, staff recommends approving option #4 which would increase the salary for the
elected Commissioner positions based on a percentage (47 %) of the salary for Superior Court Judges which
is set by the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials, to take effect for all three
positions on January 1, 2017. Subsequent adjustments made to the salary for Superior Court Judges as
determined by the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials would be implemented
at the same time for each Commissioner position.
Alternatively, should the Board wish to increase the salary of the District 43 Commissioner position sooner
rather than later, based on a percentage (47 %) of the salary for Superior Court Judges which is set by the
Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials to take effective January 1, 2015, the
Board could choose option #3. The District #1 and #2 Commissioner position salaries would be aligned with
the District #3 Commissioner position salary as of January 1, 2017.
REVIEWED BY:
7
i ip Morley, o rty Administrator
Date