Commissioners and department heads discuss pay raises

Wahkiakum County commissioners met with county department heads on Tuesday for a workshop to discuss possible pay raises for non-union employees.

Other than elected officials, most county employees are on union contracts. However, most departments have a deputy department head who is a non-union employee. These non-union staff members work in salaried positions not eligible for overtime or the same step raises that come to union employees.

An undersheriff and a chief civil deputy serve under Sheriff Mark Howie. The only raise that they have received since 2006 was the three percent raise that all non-elected county employees received last year, Howie said. The union employees with the highest seniority earned only $3,200 less last year compared to the non-union salaries, although their jobs require fewer responsibilities than the command positions. Additionally, the insurance premiums of non-union employees have increased, Howie added.

Noting that the salaries of non-union employees were getting “further and further behind,” Commissioner Dan Cothren suggested the commission establish a policy for non-union employee raises.

“We tried merit raises in the past, and I don’t want to do that again,” Cothren said.

Commissioner Blair Brady indicated that he was also against merit-based raises but was willing to consider raises based on longevity. He urged caution on cost-of-living adjustments, warning that they might lead to staff reductions in the future in order to meet the increased expense.

“You want to encourage your best and brightest to seek promotions from union to command positions,” offered Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow.

The commissioners tasked Bigelow with researching policies used by other counties facing similar situations. They also asked for department heads to propose what merit-based raises might look like for their departments.

“Let’s get this process going,” concluded Cothren.