Valley County Commissioners Raise Elected Officials And Non-Elected Permanent Employees Salaries

The Valley County Commissioners met for their regular session on June 21, where in addition to regular business of approving employment and termination notices for the county, they also set elected officials’ salaries, approved salary increases for all non-elected, permanent full-time and permanent part-time employees in addition to appointing board members to various county boards to terms beginning July 1.

The Commissioners also agreed to sign the interlocal agreement 2023-2024 between Valley County, Valley County Sheriff and the Town of Nashua to provide general law enforcement services to the Town of Nashua for 832 hours for the sum of $24,317.26.

With Commissioner Paul Tweten making the motion and Commissioner John Fahlgren seconding, Resolution No. 18-2023, resolution setting elected officials’ salaries was approved. The resolution states that the Commission has elected to accept the recommendation and approved by the County Compensation Board (CCB) to implement a four percent salary increase to the current base salary for all elected officials. As a result, the minimum base salary for Valley County treasurer, County Clerk and Recorder and Clerk of the District Court is each $52,970.11. The annual salaries of the deputies of the officers are: 90 percent $47,673.10; 85 percent $45,024.59; 80 percent $42,376.09; and 75 percent $39,727.58.

The county sheriff must receive $2,000, in addition to the annual minimum base salary of $52,970.11 making a fixed salary amount of $54,970.11 and is entitled to receive a longevity payment amount to one percent of the annual minimum base salary for each year of service.

The Board of County Commissioners will receive an annual salary equal to the annual minimum base salary of $52,970.11 plus $2,000 which is fixed at $54,970.11 for the Board of the Valley County Commissioners.

The annual salary of the Justice of the Peace is fixed at 60 percent of the annual minimum base salary of $52,970.11 plus 60 percent of $2,000, therefore a fixed salary amount is $32,982.07.

The Valley County Clerk and Recorder will also receive a salary of $7,639.92 for the duties as the County Superintendent of Schools/Assessor in addition to the salary of $52,970.11. They will also receive an additional salary of $2,000 for the duties as Election Administrator.

The Valley County Treasurer and the Valley County Clerk of the District Court will each receive a salary of $2,000 in addition to the base salary of $52,970.11.

The annual salary of the Valley County coroner is fixed at $15,000 and the annual salary of the full-time County Attorney is fixed at $132,701.38, with the State of Montana contributing $79.620.83 towards the cost of this elected position.

The Valley County Sheriff is currently the sheriff and the county’s coroner and the salary for the coroner’s position increased from $8,000 a year with the implementation of this resolution.

“Because the deputies can get overtime, but the Sheriff by statute can’t, so the Sheriff ends up being paid less than his high-end deputies. And trying to make the position attractive for somebody to run for Sheriff to stay in the job. An added complication is that we have here is this big detention center and all responsibility that goes with that. Those were kind of the factors that let us approve the increase of that level,” explained Commissioner Fahlgren for the big increase.

The Commissioners also approved, with Commissioner Tweten making the motion and Commissioner Fahlgren seconding with all in favor, the approval of salary increases of four percent for all non-elected, permanent full-time and permanent part-time employees.

The increased salaries for both classifications of county employees, elected and non-elected permanent, will come from increased revenue to the county as a result of new construction taxes, a permissive levy to help assist with the increase in health insurance costs as well as the analysis that was done on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which Commissioner Fahlgren stated would bring in revenue as well which would assist the increase in salaries.

“We are limited by what we can do with tax increases by statute,” explained Commissioner Fahlgren. “Because we have a lot of jobs that aren’t paid by taxes, they’re paid through grants and such....We’re not statutory required to increase the wages for all the employees when we do the increase for the elected officials, but it’s always been done. What we did last year was a three percent raise when there was like between it and a year before, there has been this huge inflation hit. We really felt like we needed to try to do better this year.”

After the approval of the salary increases, the Commissioners reappointed Sara Bryan as the Fire Warden for July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. “I will note that Sara has done a fabulous job and we are so lucky to have her,” stated Commissioner Mary Armstrong.

The commissioners als oappointed the following board members to terms beginning July 1:

Jim Ward for Glasgow Mosquito Control District for a three year position

Paul Jensen for Hinsdale Mosquito District for a three year position

Virgil Vaupel for Hinsdale Television Disrict No. 1 for a three year position

Darwin Johnson for Nashua Mosquito Control District for a three-year position

Walter Nelson for Opheim Cemetery District for a three year position

Russell Leader and Jayson nelson for the Valley County Airport Commission for three-year positions.

Darcel Wesen and Melanie Blount-Cole for the Valley County Board of Health for three year positions

Dave Olson and Roberta Barstad for the Valley County Historical Museum for three year positions

Tyler Thievin for the Valley County Planning Board for a two year position

Becky Erickson and Mona Amundson for the Valley County Salary Compensation Board for three year positions

Stan Ozark for the Valley County Tax Appeal Board for a three year position

Rene Clampitt for the Valley County Television District #1 for a three year position

Debby Cornwell and Connie Wethern for the Valley County Transit Board for three year positions

Jim Bowman and Steve Klessens for the Valley County Weed Control Board for two year positions.

“It takes a lot to put this all together every year and it’s always amazing to me, how so much of our county operation depends on volunteers,” stated Commissioner Fahlgren. “We try to be very appreciative for that.”