Facing a budget crunch next year across Minnesota, four of Freeborn County’s elected officials made minimal 2009 salary adjustment requests Tuesday in front of the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners, focusing mainly on the possibility of retirement benefits and a simple cost-of-living adjustment.

Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson, Freeborn County Recorder Kelly Callahan, Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer Dennis Distad and Freeborn County Sheriff Mark Harig were each given time to present their requests and give an update on their departments to the commissioners.

Nelson began by saying that his request was to continue his pay “at an appropriate level,” with nothing other than a cost-of-living adjustment.

His 2008 salary is $90,000.

He said the Freeborn County Attorney’s Office is operating well. Including himself, there are four lawyers in his office, and a total of seven employees. He compared that number of employees to the number of employees in county attorney offices in other communities of similar size in the state, showing that Freeborn County has one of the lowest numbers of employees in it’s Attorney’s Office.
– Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson: $90,000

– Freeborn County Recorder Kelly Callahan: $50,500

– Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer Dennis Distad: $75,500

– Freeborn County Sheriff Mark Harig: $80,000
Waseca and Fillmore counties, for example, are each half of Freeborn County’s size, but they have the same number of employees as Freeborn County or maybe even one more employee.

Nelson also pointed out the longevity of the employees in his office, stating that this has been useful to the county. And to some extent that should be reflected on his work ethic and his ability to work with others, he said.

He said he works long hours at the office — approximately 53 hours a week, or 2,710 hours a year.

“Every three years, I’m giving you another 40-hour-a-week employee,” he said.

As a 58-year-old man, however, Nelson said he does intend to take a little more vacation than he has in the past.

He asked the commissioners to consider talking about retirement and health insurance.

“Those are of serious concerns considering the economic times,” Nelson said.

Callahan said he knows where the county’s at in the budget process for next year. During the last eight years he’s been in office he’s tried to make his department more efficient, he said, adding that he probably runs one of the most efficient departments in the county.

Callahan said his office has been pretty busy this year with several new developments going up, and he and his employees have also been working on a new computer system for marriage licenses.

In 2008, Callahan’s salary is $50,500.

Distad said he just hopes the commissioners take into account his education and duties when it comes to consideration of his salary for next year.

He also brought up the issue of health insurance retirement benefits.

The way things are right now as elected officials, he said, if they retired they would not get any severance. They would not get any unused vacation or sick leave, he said.

“When we get done with our term … we walk out the door, and that’s it,” Distad said.

He would like to have some discussion about health insurance after retirement, he said.

His salary this year is $75,500.

Distad also discussed raising the compensation of a ditch inspector from $18 an hour to $20 an hour. Last year, the position was raised from $16 to $18 an hour.

He also requested that the chief deputy auditor in his office be raised from a grade 10 on the county’s salary structure to a grade 14 because of the duties and responsibilities in that position.

Harig made the largest salary request out of the four, asking to go from what is comparable to a grade 16 on the county’s salary structure to a grade 17.

He said an investigator or supervisor makes the equivalent of a grade 16, and if you break this down to 2,080 hours a year, the sheriff’s salary is only 4 cents higher an hour than that position, he said.

“What I’m asking for is equal treatment,” Harig said. “Whatever salary adjustment is being made for the county, I’d like a fair shake on that — an adjustment to my salary as well.”

He said he believes his duties are more complex and that he easily puts in 50 hours a week, not counting nighttime meetings that count for additional hours.

He noted he knows it’s a difficult year with the budget situation the county is facing, but he will soon be starting his 36th year with the county and his sixth year as sheriff.

“I’m just asking for a fair, equitable raise,” Harig said. He did not indicate what the adjustment would exactly mean for his salary in terms of numbers or what percent increase that would be.

This year, his salary is $80,000.

He also talked of a radio study that is nearing completion, along with what should be done to comply with new radio requirements by 2013.

Harig requested commissioners keep his bailiffs in mind if any other salary increases are put into effect across the county.

Nelson ended the presentations by stressing that all four of the elected officials, including himself who made requests, have experience and a good deal of practical application in their jobs.

Though it is sometimes never really discussed, they are all known for their practical common sense abilities, he said.

Following the presentations, Freeborn County Administrator John Kluever presented a packet of his recommendations for cuts to the 2009 budget to the commissioners. His recommendations do not include going into reserves.

The commissioners indicated they would review Kluever’s ideas for the budget and then come back to their next budget meeting on Nov. 10 with any areas of disagreement.

Commissioners did not discuss their own salaries in detail but indicated they would do so at the next budget workshop Nov. 10.

Commissioner Chris Shoff requested comparisons of commissioner salaries in other similarly-sized communities.