“I think there is cause to getting him closer to what his peers are in view of the type of job that he does,” said Steve Brustkern, the sheriff’s representative on the compensation board.

Brustkern also noted the sheriff’s command staff earn a percentage of what their boss is paid, which means some would be better off financially to reject promotions and remain as deputies earning overtime.

Grillo, who represents the treasurer on the compensation board, said he wasn’t sold on looking at pay in other counties.

“We always look at this average like it’s the golden rule,” he said. “What we really need to do is consider whether we’re paying our people fair salaries.

“Are we maintaining good people at the salaries we are putting out there?” he added. “In most cases we are.”

Compensation board members Jerome Amos Jr. and Steve Abbott also voiced some concern about recommending pay raises over 3 percent when the Iowa Legislature changed the state’s collective bargaining laws and limited arbitrated pay raises for unionized workers to the lesser of 3 percent of the consumer price index.

Black Hawk County’s elected officials have received 3 and 4 percent pay raises in each of the past four years.

Current annual salaries for those positions are: county attorney, $127,757; sheriff, $108,777; auditor, $80,896; recorder and treasurer, $80,780 each; and the five supervisors, $38,412.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2

Get Election 2020 & Politics updates in your inbox! Keep up on the latest in national and local politics as Election 2020 comes into focus. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.